Tyson Fury Needs an American Opponent.
After Tyson “The Gypsy King” Fury (28-0-1, 20 KO’s) faced the WBC heavyweight champion Deontay “Bronze Bomber” Wilder, he avoided the immediate rematch by signing with Top Rank and pledging network allegiance to ESPN.
Once aligned with his new promoter, the primary mission was to build-up Fury’s American profile. The Top Rank think-tank felt that two matches in the US market would be sufficient to properly raise awareness of Fury before the Wilder rematch.
Ironically, the first bout staged was against the completely obscure Tom Schwarz. The German who never fought outside of Germany, was someone few if any Americans had ever heard of.
During the build-up of the bout, ESPN tried their very best to paint the mysterious Schwarz as a serious threat. Fury’s two round dismantling of him proved otherwise.
The Gypsy King’s energetic ring walk, in which he was draped in red, white and blue and doing his best Apollo Creed impression, was more dramatic than the actual fight.
With Schwarz aggressively brushed to the side, Team Fury has now turned their attention to an October fight date. As Fury explained to WorldBoxingNews.net, the only thing certain regarding his next foe is they want to fight an American.
Up to now, the only two names that Fury and Top Rank have put forth are the accomplished drug cheat Jarrell “Big Baby” Miller (23-0-1, 20 KO’s) and the generally unknown Trevor Bryan (20-0, 14 KO’s).
“ESPN wants an American opponent and I suggested Jarrell Miller. There’s also Trevor Bryan, who is supposed to be fighting Manuel Charr for the WBA belt.”
Earlier this year, Miller was scheduled to face the UK heavyweight superstar Anthony “AJ” Joshua. At the time Joshua was the IBF, IBO, WBA and WBO heavyweight champion, however, he has since been relieved of his belts when Andy “Destroyer” Ruiz Jr defeated him by way of seventh round knockout.
The only reason Ruiz got the shot was because Miller failed three separate drug test with three different drugs.
Similar to Schwarz, Bryan is not a heavyweight contender that too many Americans are talking about. To his credit, he won an interim WBA title over BJ Flores on August 11, 2018.
Since winning the strap via fourth round knockout, Bryan has remained inactive. Although Miller and Bryan are the two names that have been put forth, they are not locked in stone.
Fury just wants to fight an American, any American!
“They want someone known in America, so if you’ve got a good record and you are American, come see ‘The Gypsy King’ and he’ll give you a job!
“I was built to be a Las Vegas showman! I’m going to go back in October and knock out another American, then go back in February and kick Wilder’s arse again!”
We’ll just have to see who they ultimately come up with.
By: Bakari Simpson
