By Scott Gilfoid: Former heavyweight champion Tyson Fury (25-0, 18 KOs) has volunteered to step in and face Tony Bellew (29-2-1, 19 KOs) to replace the injured David Haye, who pulled out of his scheduled December 17 rematch with “The Bomber” earlier on Monday.
Haye pulled out of his fight with Bellew because of a bicep problem. Haye says he thinks he can be ready to face Bellew on March 24 or May 5. If that’s the case, Bellew might be stuck fighting Haye rather than taking what would likely be a much bigger payday facing Fury.
Fury, 29, says he’ll fight Bellew on May 5 at the O2 Arena in London, UK. Of course, Fury still hasn’t received clearance to continue his pro boxing career by the UK Anti-Doping hearing and the British Boxing Board of Control. Fury will need to be given clearance for him to fight anyone.
Fury has the size to beat a small heavyweight like Bellew even if he were out of shape and fat. Bellew, 6’3”, is a small heavyweight without the huge power and hand speed that the other top guys possess in the division.
Fury said this on his Instagram today moments after hearing the news of Haye pulling out of his December 17th fight with Bellew:
“I just heard David Haye pulled out against Tony ‘The Bell-end” Bellew,” said Fury. “I’ll be ready, ready and waiting to fight Tony Bellew on May 5th at the O2 Arena in London. Like I’ve said it before, Tony; if you want to fight a real man, if you want to fight the best heavyweight in the world, the heavyweight that beat everybody else, a heavyweight that never lost, the real heavyweight champion of the world and ready and waiting,” said Fury.
It’s doubtful that Fury will be able to make it back into the ring against Bellew by May 5. It would be a good fight in terms of drumming up public interest in the match, but it would be a mismatch. Bellew is too small for Fury.
Fury’s management will likely want him to take someone a little easier than Bellew for his first fight back. Bellew might be too live of an opponent for Fury, who will be returning to the ring after 2 years of inactivity. Fury has gained a lot of weight during his absence from the ring, and we don’t know how well he’ll be able to perform after he cuts the weight. Fury had been rumored to have been as high as 400 pounds at one time. He’s lost a lot of weight recently, and looks to be in the 300 pound range.
Fury will still need to lose another 50 pounds to get to his fighting weight of 250 lbs. With all the weight loss, Fury might be drained by the time he enters the ring to fight Bellew or whoever. The good news is that Fury has never been a fighter that wins with power. He’s always been a slapper of sorts. It probably won’t matter if Fury is weaker than he was in the past. As long as he can slap a lot, move around the ring, and bend backwards to avoid getting hit, he should do well. A fighter like Bellew will be way over-matched against Fury.
”They call you the bomber. I call you ‘the bell-end’,” said Fury. ”It would be no contest, one uppercut, ceiling job. If you think you can do anything different, prove me wrong and you can bring your mates as well, big tosser David Price,” said Fury.
Bellew would likely jump at the chance to fight Fury next May if he can get that fight. It’s still too early to know whether Bellew will be able to take a fight with Fury in between his rematch with Haye. Right now, it’s doubtful.