As fans may have read or heard, Tyson Fury is back from holiday, demanding a fight. Fury, who launched into yet another rant yesterday, his message posted online, claims Oleksandr Usyk and Anthony Joshua do not want to fight him (you may have your own opinion on this, but let’s not get into that, it’s too tiresome), and that Andy Ruiz asked for a whopping $20 million to fight him.
Fury says he would have fought Zhilei Zhang, but Zhang has his rematch with Joe Joyce, so that’s out. Fury says he has not fought since December, “through no fault of my own,” and that he badly wants a summer fight. It remains to be seen if Fury and Usyk will fight before the end of the year, but Fury says he wants some action before then, with the WBC heavyweight champ declaring how he is “looking to fight anybody, any time, any place, anywhere.”
But as Fury asks, “who’s available?”
Well, one man who might just fit the bill has stated how he is available, and ready, to fight Fury next. Martin Bakole, who was recently dubbed “the most avoided heavyweight” by promoter Ben Shalom of BOXXER, who signed Bakole up a short while back, has challenged Fury.
“Hey, Tyson Fury – I heard that you’re looking for an opponent. I’m available. Give my team a call. I’m [ranked] number seven with the WBC, number two WBA. I’m ready.”
Bakole, 19-1(14) and a big bear of a 20-stone (or more) fighter would certainly be an adequate foe for Fury this summer; especially when Fury says himself that there are precious few ranked opponents out there for him right now. Bakole, who scored a big win over Tony Yoka last year and has won his last eight, is not a big name and he is not a proven ticket seller, however, if the pickings are as slim as Fury says, then why not fight Bakole?
Bakole is game, he is physically strong, he has a decent amount of experience, and he is, as some people other than Shalom have said, avoided. The 6’6″ Bakole would match Fury for size and strength, and it would perhaps be a good fight, a testing fight for Fury. Bakole fought as recently as April, too, so he should be match fit.
If not Bakole, and if Fury really does want a fight this summer, then who else? And please, nobody mention Fury-Chisora IV or Fury-John McDermott III!
Bakole is ranked, he is up for the challenge, and he has called out Fury. Will Fury show any interest in this fight? Fury did say “anybody, any time, any place, anywhere,” didn’t he?