Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua will finally meet in the ring, with the vacant WBA heavyweight world title on the line. The fight, set for Dec. 11 in Cardiff, Wales, has been in the works for more than five years and is billed as the biggest in U.K. boxing history. ESPN's Nick Parkinson and James Regan examine what is real and what is not ahead of the bout.
On whether Fury will KO Joshua, the verdict is not real. Fury is the favorite at -200 per Draft Kings, and he has performed better across two fights against Oleksandr Usyk than Joshua did. Joshua, however, has the physical attributes to stop Fury, who has been knocked down eight times in his pro career. If Joshua proceeds with caution early, as he did not against Daniel Dubois and Kristian Prenga, he can catch Fury and end it.
On whether the winner will be considered Britain's greatest boxer, that is also not real. Lennox Lewis made 14 world title defenses over three reigns as champion, with significant wins over Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield. Joshua has made seven title defenses over two reigns, and Fury three over two spells, so neither has yet matched Lewis's legacy.
The undercard also features Canelo Alvarez, who returns Oct. 31 to face WBO champion Christian Mbilli, and a rematch between Daniel Dubois and Fabio Wardley on Oct. 17 in London. WBC welterweight champion Ryan Garcia has called out several rivals, with a rematch against Devin Haney a possible next step.
Source: ESPN General · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing