Following the WWE‘s recent (ever controversial) Saudi Arabia event in which a number of the roster were stranded in Riyadh, boxing’s lineal Heavyweight Champion, Tyson Fury, was expected to exit the WWE universe and return to the world of boxing. However, Tyson Fury and WWE have now confirmed that the 6’9 “Gypsy King” will be at Friday’s Manchester in SmackDown in the flesh. For those who don’t know, Fury is a Manchester native, so this was perhaps more predictable than it appears.
Though not the first professional boxer to make the jump to pro-wrestling, Fury’s character might be the most colorful. Appearing as a guest on this week’s WWE After the Bell podcast hosted by Corey Graves, Fury confirmed the news. Interestingly, he set his sights on current WWE Universal Champion and former UFC Heavyweight Champion, Brock Lesnar.
“Hopefully you see me in the ring again and I want to fight Brock Lesnar next. One clip from the Gypsy King and Lesnar will wake up in Tokyo,” Fury stated.
“Who knows? It might happen at WrestleMania in Florida,” Fury continued. “Big shout-outs to Vince McMahon and everyone who works at WWE.”
More than just a boxer
Fury’s fame has grown recently after his inspirational comeback from depression. Fury vacated his heavweight titles in October 2016, after winning them in November 2015. He defeated Wladimir Klitschko; a fighter deemed by many as being the most dominant of his generation and one of the all-time greats. However, increased media attention and depression caught up with Fury. This led him to drugs, further leading him to fail a drug test for cocaine. Fury’s weight also spiraled out of control, leading him to weighing over 100lbs more than the weight he was at when he fought Klitschko.
Fury made his big boxing comeback in 2018, which most notably featured an incredible performance against current WBC Heavyweight Champion, Deontay Wilder. The fight ended in a draw, but the performance of Fury – which included a spectacular, now famous recovery in the 9th round – led many to believe he truly won the fight. There has been much talk of a rematch and Fury’s presence in the WWE has led to many accusing him of dodging a rematch.
However, for now, Fury’s sights appear to be on Lesnar. A former UFC Heavyweight Champion squaring off with the lineal heavyweight boxing champion of the world would surely have Vince McMahon drooling. Will the match actually happen? Who knows. One thing is for sure, it would be a spectacle well-suited to the glitz and glamour of WrestleMania. Will the seeds for this fight be planted on Friday? We’ll just have to stay tuned.
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