Could your nerves stand it if not one but two massive heavyweight upsets took place this year, this summer, within two weeks of each other? Fans are still letting the fact that huge underdog Andy Ruiz shocked Anthony Joshua on June 1 sink in, while experts have urged Tyson Fury to be cautious and to remain focused ahead of his June 15th defence against another “no hoper,” in unbeaten but unheralded challenger Tom Schwarz.
Fury, like AJ before him, is listed as a clear favourite to win and to retain his lineal heavyweight championship in his upcoming bout, yet Germany’s Schwarz will take great heart from seeing what 30-1 underdog Ruiz pulled off in New York. Fury’s promoter Frank Warren, speaking with BBC Sports, spoke of how Fury must not let his guard down for one second in Las Vegas on June 15th.
“Tyson Fury will have to be very much on his guard,” Warren said. “People keep talking about easy or knockover opponents, but Tyson has a job to do on June 15. Tom Schwarz has got the chance to change his life in Las Vegas. Schwarz is a big guy who can punch and is also young and unbeaten. He will take inspiration from Ruiz. Tyson though is not complacent and has been training hard since his fight with Wilder. If he did think he was in for an easy night’s work, he just might think again after watching a big favourite tumble in New York.”
If Fury can avoid being upset, he could one day wind up fighting Ruiz himself. If Ruiz can repeat his win over Joshua, and if Fury can come through his anticipated return fight with Wilder (agreed, we hear, for next year), who knows, we could see a massive unification clash between the 6’2” Ruiz and the 6’9” Fury. Talk about a David Vs. Goliath type fight.
Warren, though, sees no problems.
“I don’t think he’d be a problem for Tyson Fury,” Warren said of Ruiz.
Now, where have we heard that before?
As for Schwarz, the German with the 24-0(16) record has been an invisible man practically, with nothing seen or heard from the challenger since the Fury fight was announced. I wonder if the 25 year old is getting ready to give us all one big, big surprise.