These crossover fights are appealing to some, but the reality is that something crazy will have to happen for Fury to lose.
Most important is to avoid any injury that would delay the bout with Oleksandr Usyk into 2024 and that will be at the forefront of all associated with putting that Undisputed Heavyweight Fight together.
It is a decent enough undercard to the main event with some solid Heavyweight action- some of the fighters will be looking to get into World Title fights within the next twelve months, while others are rebuilding and there is a big bout at domestic level between two unbeaten fighters looking to grow while the top names fight it out for the World Titles.
We are a week on from a couple of decent, if unspectacular cards, and you cannot help feel that Jack Catterall failed to really impose himself on Jorge Linares, a veteran who clearly had one foot in retirement before the fight. It looked like a showcase fight for Catterall, but Eddie Hearn has to be wondering how he can position a fighter that has a less than fan-friendly style and who doesn't have a World Title to at least entice others to step into the ring with him.
The rematch with Josh Taylor perhaps makes best sense for both the former Undisputed Light Welterweight Champion and Jack Catterall with the easy build we would have. A catchweight of around 143 pounds would make sense for both and that might be the best avenue to explore after a less than impressive time for either fighter since their first meeting in the ring last year.
Tyson Fury vs Francis Ngannou
It says plenty that we have yet to really be given clear indication whether the main event in Saudi Arabia is a professional fight or an exhibition.
To make things that much more murky, the Tyson Fury vs Francis Ngannou fight will not be taking place in the same ring as those competing on the undercard. A part of the reason is that there are other events taking place in the 'main' Arena before Fury and Ngannou head out, but it again raises some questions as to how 'competitive' this one is going to be.
Without the signed fight against Oleksandr Usyk in place, you would imagine that Tyson Fury would approach this with plenty of show-business behind him as he did on his return from a long lay off. Even between the Deontay Wilder fights, Tyson Fury would take on relatively easy touches and spend as much time preparing the show to get to the ring as he would in preparing for his opponent.
More has to be expected in Saudi Arabia, but the potential for the Usyk fight to land in December, just eight weeks after this fight, means Tyson Fury should be more focused and looking to make a statement.
The reality is that this fight is going to go as far and long as Tyson Fury wants.
Francis Ngannou deserves the money he is making and you cannot begrudge him that considering the hard route taken to become UFC Heavyweight Champion before he walked away from the company. It still feels like he will have a route back to that company in the months ahead, even after Jon Jones picked up a serious injury, but you also have to accept that Francis Ngannou is a complete novice when it comes to boxing at this level.
Some of the names on the Tyson Fury resume have been criticised by his naysayers, but Francis Ngannou would be an underdog against most of them and the nuances of this discipline will mean anything other than a Fury win would be a surprise.
Will he want to go Rounds and give the fans a bit of entertainment? Or does Tyson Fury have a look in the First Round and quickly move through the gears to make sure he is not leaving anything to chance to scupper that Undisputed Heavyweight Fight that could take place before the end of the year?
My feeling has to be with the latter and the Heavyweights will find it much harder to carry one another like Floyd Mayweather seemingly did against Conor McGregor.
Tyson Fury was able to keep Dereck Chisora going into the Tenth Round, but he has beaten the likes of Sefer Seferi, Tom Schwarz and Dillian Whyte much more quickly than that. He won't harbour too many ill-feelings towards Ngannou, but Fury will likely know that he cannot risk any cut or injury that pushes back the fight with Usyk and the feeling is that he quickly turns on the style to win this one relatively early.
A Heavyweight undercard has been put together, which should provide some entertainment for those tuning in for more than the crossover bout at the top of the card.
One of the big prospects in British Boxing has a chance to showcase his talent to a wider audience and Moses Itauma is expected to make full use of that. He is in with an opponent who was Stopped by a journeyman in his last fight, almost a year ago, and Itauma should quickly make his power tell.
There was a time when Carlos Takam was plenty resilient and capable of testing fighters, while he is in off an upset of Tony Yoka. However, Martin Bakole cannot continue to call out the big names if he cannot win a fight like this one in impressive style.
You have to say that Bakole has been guilty of not really backing up his own upset of a then unbeaten Yoka, while the almost 300 pounds he weighed in at is a concern. In saying that, Martin Bakole has carried plenty of weight and kept the punches going in recent bouts and the feeling is he can 'Joe Joyce' Takam into submission.
One of the fighters that will back up the Carlos Takam resiliency is Arslanbek Makhmudov who is 17-0 with sixteen Stoppages and the only exception being the Decision win over Takam. He has had a couple of early nights since the Decision win against Carlos Takam and Arslanbek Makhmudov is expected to have another.
And former World Champion Joseph Parker should be able to showcase some of the 'mongrel' in a shoot out with Simon Kean.
Finally we get to the chief support on the undercard where the British Heavyweight Title is on the line as Fabio Wardley and David Adelaye finally get to meet in the ring.
It has been a feisty build up between two unbeaten fighters hoping to win on a big platform and use that to move closer to World level over the next twelve to eighteen months.
Both have combined to win all twenty-eight professional fights and twenty-six have been inside the distance.
You have to feel that Wardley is further along in his development compared with Adelaye, but the Challenger is plenty confident. There has also been some signs of vulnerability when Fabio Wardley has fought and it would be a real surprise if this doesn't catch fire pretty quickly.
David Adelaye has to know that Wardley has looked vulnerable early, but the former has also shown he can be hurt and this could be a fun fight with some Knock Downs and a first half finish, either way, looks very likely.
Over in Mexico, Matchroom are putting on a card where the winner of the main event could soon be tempted to head over to the United Kingdom for a Unification with Joe Cordina.
It is the undercard of interest with Justis Huni expected to show there are other Australian talents coming through. The Heavyweight is facing Andrew Tabiti, who had been out of the ring for fourteen months and only in his second fight in the Division having moved up Cruiserweight.
You have to believe that more is expected from Huni having needed the cards in his last couple of outings and Tabiti was Stopped in his sole previous defeat. The naturally bigger man has enough Rounds to force a Stoppage in this one as Matchroom continues to build talent from Down Under before organising a big card for the home fans in Australia.
MY PICKS: Tyson Fury to Win Between 1-5 @ 2.50 Sky Bet (2 Units)
Moses Itauma to Win Between 1-2 @ 2.20 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Martin Bakole to Win By KO/TKO/Disqualification @ 1.95 Bet365 (2 Units)
Arslanbek Makhmudov to Win Between 1-2 @ 2.00 Sky Bet (2 Units)
Joseph Parker to Win by KO/TKO/Disqualification @ 1.80 Sky Bet (2 Units)
Fabio Wardley-David Adelaye to End Between 1-6 @ 2.37 Sky Bet (2 Units)
Justis Huni to Win by KO/TKO/Disqualification @ 1.72 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Boxing 2023: 49-87, - 20.37 Units (251 Units Staked, - 8.12% Yield)
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