Shock, horror – heavyweight superstar (personality) Shannon Briggs, still on suspension for a failed drugs test, has called out heavyweight giant (in every sense of the word) Tyson Fury, still on suspension for an alleged failed drugs test.
Now, say what you want about the very notion of this fight – a disgrace, a sure-fire bullseye of a black eye for the sport, a farce, a car crash in waiting – but admit this: you WOULD watch it if actually happened. Let’s not be hypocrites here, we all know we would tune in, not only to the fight itself, but to all the pre-fight fun and games masquerading as press conferences, head-to-heads, etc.
This one would be bad, but could it also be good, as in good fun? But realistically, has this fight got any chance of getting off the ground? It’s possible Briggs, in aesthetically great physical shape, has not seen Fury up close for some time; either that or the old timer’s eyesight is failing him. Fury, as we saw at this Saturday’s Joseph Parker-Hughie Fury fight in Manchester, is still something like a million years away from being in top fighting shape, and this likely means the unbeaten former champ will not be fighting Briggs, or anyone else, in the coming months (if big Tyson ever makes a return to the ring).
But Briggs needs a big fight, in fact he seems positively desperate for one. Having chased and called out Wladimir Klitschko and David Haye, to no avail on both counts, “The Cannon” wants to get one big payday, sorry, fight, before it’s too late and his colourful career finally reaches its end. A showdown with Fury would certainly fit the bill and Briggs knows it; calling Fury out on social media and even penning a heartfelt letter to his fellow former champ in which he calls for him to get the fight on.
Will Fury even respond to Briggs? Would this particular match-up even be allowed to take place on British shores (the UK being the only place the fight would manage to be anything like a big attraction)?
Again, we’d watch it if it happened, but what would the fallout be from such a fight? Would the ring action come close to justifying the controversy and negativity this fight would undoubtedly attract? Would the actual fight make the inevitable bad press worth it? Would we see an explosion, a hugathon, an embarrassment, a blowout or a snoozer?
For the record: Briggs, 60-6-1(53) has not boxed since May of 2016, while Fury, 25-0(18) last fought in November of 2015.
We’ve seen some quite unexpected non-title heavyweight attractions in the past (and to think, George Foreman-Gerry Cooney from 1990 – a genuine Dream Fight in comparison to this potential freak show – was almost universally laughed at when first announced) and maybe we will get another dose soon enough.