Tyson Fury will face Tom Schwarz for the first fight of his new Top Rank/ESPN deal.
Reports have surfaced that former lineal heavyweight champion Tyson Fury is going to fight German prospect Tom Schwarz.
We expect to hear an official announcement on March 23 during the Jessie Magdaleno vs Rico Ramos card on ESPN. Recent reports stated Fury would return at the Thomas and Mack Center on June 15. However, it is unclear if that is still the designated date and venue for this proposed match-up.
Fury surprised many when he signed his landmark co-promotional deal with ESPN and Top Rank; mostly because this coincided with him walking away from an immediate rematch with WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder. This left all three men atop the heavyweight division searching for opposition. Anthony Joshua is on schedule to face top contender Jarrell Miller, and Wilder will be facing his mandatory challenger Dominic Brezeale.
The little known Schwarz is a 24 year-old German who is undefeated in twenty four fights. While undefeated and a capable fighter, he has no experience fighting someone of Fury’s level. This is an ambitious move by the youngster, as Fury is likely the best pure boxer in the division. An upset by Schwarz would be monumental.
It’s becoming more clear the Fury camp has decided they needed more rounds before stepping in with divisions elite. After being out for nearly three years suffering with mental illness and ballooning in weight, Fury only had two tune-up fights before jumping in to the deep end of the division with Wilder.
That bout ended in a draw that many fans and pundits felt “The Gypsy King” deserved to win, although, he suffered two knock downs along the way. Most people had counted him out before the fight even started, and for good reason; ring rust is a real thing. Seeing as that nobody was asking for Fury vs Schwarz, this is likely just a way to get more quality rounds before jumping back in with one of the big guns in Wilder or Joshua.
While most people will write this fight off as a soft touch, it should be noted that Schwarz is the #2 ranked contender for the WBO and the #9 ranked contender for the IBF. If Fury were to gain a win over the youngster, not only would he be putting more distance between himself and his lay off, but he would be advancing himself in the sanctioning bodies whose titles he once held.
By: Tanner Gill
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