You’ve got to love Mahmoud Charr, if for nothing more than his sheer persistence and utter refusal to go away. Fans may have read that the 38-year-old known as “Diamond Boy” was recently reinstated as WBA “regular” champ at heavyweight, this after a winning court battle on the part of the man who challenged WBC heavyweight ruler Vitali Klitschko way back in 2012.
Now “champion” again, Charr has set his sights high…..as in Tyson Fury high. Speaking with Sky Sports, Charr, 34-4(20) says he will beat Jarrell Miller (in a fight that he has been ordered to take next, in October) and will then look for a big fight with current WBC heavyweight boss Tyson Fury.
Charr, who has fought just three times since winning the WBA “regular” strap with a stoppage win over a 40 year old Alexander Ustinov in November of 2017 (Charr was later stripped for not fighting Trevor Bryan), says he has no interest in a fight with Anthony Joshua.
“I will beat Miller and want to move to Tyson Fury,” Charr told Sky Sports. “Fury and me, it will be the best fight right now in heavyweight entertainment. I am always looking to fight the best, this is Fury right now. Many people tell me, fight Anthony Joshua after that. Really I am not interested in fighting him. I want legacy. If I want to be the best, I need to beat the best. Tyson Fury is my focus, nothing else.”
To repeat, don’t you just love this guy and his utter self-belief! No matter that Charr has not beaten a ranked opponent since May of 2015, this his decision win over Alex Leapai. No matter that Charr has been beaten each time he has stepped up into anything approaching elite level – with Klitschko, Alexander Povetkin, Johann Duhaupas and Mairis Breidis all defeating Charr.
“Diamond Boy” still believes, and what’s more, he wants a legacy. Fury may well be interested in facing Charr should Charr get past “Big Baby” Miller. In fact, Fury has spoken about wanting to get it on with Charr before. We fans who crave seeing a unified world heavyweight king don’t like Charr’s idea (instead we want one fight and one fight only, this being Fury-Oleksandr Usyk), but this doesn’t mean Charr will not get what he is aiming for.
Do not be at all surprised if Fury and Charr do fight some time next year.