Tyson Fury‘s legacy is on the line against Oleksandr Usyk on December 21 at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Fury, 36, from the UK, was the most dominant heavyweight boxer in the world for almost a full decade. He shockingly seized the mantle from Wladimir Klitschko in 2015 and was at least the lineal champion until his split decision loss to Usyk in May 2024.
Fury was technically out of action between 2015 and 2018 due to some outside-the-ring issues. But the historic comeback he achieved after battling addiction, mental illness, and depression, along with the fact that he proved to be the better man over three historic fights against the other premier heavyweight of the period, Deontay Wilder, offers future historians plenty to like when it comes to ranking Fury across the ages.
Still, while Fury’s legacy is impressive, it’s not likely to hold up when it comes to comparing the starfighter against other all-time great heavyweight champions. Winning the rematch against the 37-year-old Ukrainian should be seen as imperative for Fury in regards to the former lineal and WBC heavyweight champ solidifying his place among the all-time greats.
Where Does Tyson Fury Place In The Rich History of The Heavyweight Division
Since the first gloved heavyweight boxing champion, John L. Sullivan, grabbed the crown in 1882, a myriad of powerful pugilists have punched their way to the top of the historical heavyweight mountain. As the years have rolled on, the heap of exceptional careers a fighter must climb over through his own achievements has continued to grow larger, and it’s become increasingly more difficult to be considered one of the greatest heavyweight boxers ever.
Fury’s claim at doing so now might teeter on a knife’s edge. If he can nab the throne back from Usyk in the rematch later this month, Fury will have a decent case of being mentioned alongside the best of the best. If he can’t, his name might ultimately be left off future lists.
I’m repeating this for emphasis: parts of Fury’s bio are quite impressive.
His fame and fortune are world-renowned. He’s the most popular heavyweight in the world this side of Mike Tyson, and his 35-fight unbeaten streak, pristine boxing skills, and larger-than-life personality have combined to make him one of the most recognizable professional athletes in the modern world. But the truth of the matter is that his boxing résumé simply falls short when it comes to victories over other top-flight heavyweights.
It’s not exactly his fault. After defeating the most accomplished heavyweight of the previous era, Klitschko, in 2015, the cupboard was virtually bare for him in regards to having a lot of chances to tackle elite competition. Beyond his three fights against Wilder, in which Fury went 2-0-1, it could be said Fury’s best win came against Dillian Whyte in 2022.
Whyte’s a solid enough heavyweight contender. But how might a future historian look at that win compared to the likes of fighters who competed during more robust eras? Muhammad Ali defeated Sonny Liston, Joe Frazier, and George Foreman. Lennox Lewis beat Evander Holyfield, Mike Tyson, and Vitali Klitschko.
Even in comparison to the fighters who faced less elite competition than Ali and Lewis, Fury’s résumé doesn’t quite match up. After all, Joe Louis defended his heavyweight championship 25 times from 1937 to 1949. In more recent times, Wladimir Klitschko totaled 23 total defenses over his two title reigns, including an impressive 18-fight streak over nine years during his second go as champ. Meanwhile, Fury officially defended his WBC title a mere three times after grabbing gold from Wilder in 2020. Even giving credit to Fury for the lineal championship reveals the fighter going just 9-0-1 from 2015 to 2023.
How Does The Result of The Rematch Affect the Legacy of Tyson Fury?
Fury badly needs to notch another win against a top-flight heavyweight, and Usyk is likely his final opportunity.
Fury seems to have what it takes to defeat the southpaw. In the first fight, Fury got off to a fast start and was seemingly in control of the action before Usyk landed the massive blow that opened up a cut and changed the fight in Round 8. Usyk put Fury down in the next round and almost scored the stoppage win. But Fury recovered to be competitive in the championship rounds, and the fight went to the scorecards, where judges awarded Usyk the bout via split decision (115-112, 114-113, 113-114).
The victory made Usyk the first undisputed heavyweight champion since Lewis in 2000, a massive feat made even more special by the fact that Usyk had also previously been the undisputed cruiserweight champion. The only other heavyweight in boxing history to do that was Evander Holyfield, the fighter Lewis defeated in 2000 to claim his undisputed status.
Similar to what defeating Holyfield did for the legacy of Lewis, defeating Usyk in the rematch would be massive for Fury. While it wouldn’t make Fury the undisputed heavyweight champion (thanks to the IBF’s crowning of Daniel Dubois earlier this year), it would at least make Fury’s historical legacy more indisputable than it is right now. A win by Fury would solidify his place among other all-time great heavyweights, and a loss would be hugely detrimental to that cause.
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