An interesting heavyweight clash will take place this Saturday night as defending British champ Sam Sexton meets former WBO title challenger Hughie Fury. Fury is the favourite to win but Sexton, a tough and experienced campaigner, has other ideas. Sexton, who has seemingly been around forever (with a few layoffs endured), might just give Fury, the younger man by a considerable margin, one of his toughest, roughest fights.
Fury, though, is thinking big. A points loser to WBO champ Joseph Parker last year (in a fight where more than a few people felt Fury was hard done by on the cards of the three judges), Fury will look to win on Saturday and then try and earn himself a mandatory position whereby he gets a second shot at world glory. Peter Fury, his trainer and father, tells Sky Sports how Hughie is hitting harder now, that he has been working on putting more “spite” into his shots, and that the plan, providing they get the win on Saturday, is to have Hughie fight three times this year.
Fury has endured long spells out of the ring himself and it was perhaps this inactivity that hurt him against Parker; where Fury was moving well and fighting a smart defensive game but not throwing enough punches. If he does a number on Sexton and shows his newly improved punching power, Fury will be in a good position for bigger fights. Still, it would be unwise of the Furys to write off or look past Sexton (something they surely will not do, as pro as they are).
It will be interesting to see where a victorious Fury will look to go next providing he does win; who he will target a fight with so as to earn a mandatory position with one of the four governing bodies. One man who has called Fury out is unbeaten “Juggernaut” Joe Joyce. At just 4-0 as a pro, 32 year old Joyce, being moved fast, has already claimed the Commonwealth title – having crushed Lenroy Thomas inside just two-rounds this past Saturday.
Joyce, a fine amateur who boxed at the Olympics, really does seem to be going places and a fight between he and Fury, or Sexton, would be most welcome by the British fight fans. But will Fury or Sexton wish to take what would be a very dangerous and risky fight – neither Fury nor Sexton would relish the idea of losing and being embarrassed by a “novice” fighter. Dereck Chisora, for example doesn’t seem too keen on the idea of getting in the ring with Joyce.
Back to Saturday night’s fight, and a distance fight does look a good bet. Sexton has been stopped three times, by Chisora twice and by David Price, but Fury doesn’t punch as hard as either man – at least he hasn’t done so thus far in his career. Fury will impress if he does bag himself a KO on Saturday. Instead look for the cousin of former undisputed heavyweight king Tyson Fury to box his way to a wide decision win. Joe Joyce will be watching.