What could have been, eh?
While boxing fans had been crying out for an all-British superfight between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua, it could have actually been his cousin Hughie who met the unbeaten IBF world champion first.
In a bizarre few months for boxing, Tyson Fury withdrew from his slated October 29 fight with former champion Wladimir Klitschko due to mental health issues and was later stripped of his WBA belt.
Anthony Joshua then stepped in and looked all set to take on the 40-year-old Ukrainian in a £30m blockbuster at the Manchester Arena.
Then Klitschko dropped out of the huge clash with the British heavyweight over an injury, leaving the British heavyweight scrambling around for an opponent for his December 10 title defence.
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Names including David Price and Joseph Parker were thrown around to face the big-punching Brit before it was announced that he would fight American Eric Molina next month.
But for a time it looked like Joshua could be fighting a Fury in his second defence of the IBF world belt.
Unbeaten heavyweight Hughie Fury, who is 20-0 in the division, says he was well up for stepping in and fighting the former Olympic gold medal-winner.
But Fury, who is managed by his father Peter, said the offer that was put to him of a few hundred thousand pounds was ‘peanuts’.
He explained on Buncey’s Boxing Hour that the gulf in prospective pay between himself and Joshua for the bout was what made him turn it down.
“Eddie Hearn (Joshua’s promoter) offered the fight and to be honest with you they offered a couple of hundred thousand.
“At the end of the day that’s ridiculous. He’s (Joshua) on about £8 million. What do they think I’m fighting for peanuts here? I’m a young fighter, 20-0 and I’m ready to fight anyone.
“I’d take the fight no problem but at the end of the day he’s £8 million and I’m fighting for a couple of hundred grand?
“It’s nothing. I can see fair enough if it was he’s fighting for £800,000 and I’m fighting for £400,000. If it was kind of close but obviously it wasn’t.”
His trainer and father Peter has already talked about stepping Hughie up in 2017 and putting him up against top level fighters.
He reckons the 22-year-old could very well be a world heavyweight champion by next year in an interview with Boxing News.
“Hughie is just one fight away from a title himself. I think he’s already there. He’s guaranteed a world title shot next year. It just depends who comes. He’s training all over the Christmas so he’s going to be ready for his world title shot in 2017 for sure.
“We’re very happy with him. I think his time is coming now. He’s developed into a fine athlete. We’re just looking forward to getting him his chance. We are confident he will be a world champion next year.”
We might not have to wait much longer then to see one of the Furys go up against Joshua in a heavyweight title match then, with Tyson also looking to make a comeback next year.
