Heavyweight

The heavyweight division will be in the global spotlight on Saturday night, when Deontay Wilder (40-0, 39 KOs) defends his WBC world heavyweight title against former world champion Tyson Fury (27-0, 19 KOs) in a pay-per-view bout at Staples Center in Los Angeles.

It's a titanic matchup that pits two popular fighters with big followings on both sides of the Atlantic who have contrasting methods of winning a fight.

Wilder is a knockout king, possessing arguably the most devastating punch in the sport. He will stalk his opponents, waiting for the perfect opportunity to unleash his explosive right hand.

Fury, when fit and committed, likes to move around the ring, darting in and out, putting on a show and scoring some nice jabs and counter punches while he's at it.

Boxing fans have been clamoring for this bout for some time—and for what may await the winner: a potential superfight with the division's king, Anthony Joshua (WBA, WBO, IBF world champion). 

Wilder and Fury are talented, entertaining, hard-hitting and the bad blood is boiling. Here's how to watch.

                    

Wilder vs. Fury Fight Info

When: Saturday, Dec. 1 at 9 p.m. ET (main card start time)

Where: Staples Center in Los Angeles

TV: Showtime (U.S., pay-per-view), BT Sport Box Office (UK, PPV)

Live Stream: SHO.com (U.S., PPV)

Odds: Wilder -175 (bet $175 to win $100), Fury +145 (bet $100 to win $145)

Fight odds according to OddsShark and updated as of Thursday, Nov. 29 at 7 a.m. ET.

                 

The world didn't have to wait until Saturday to see a bit of action from Wilder and Fury. The two nearly got into it at their pre-fight press conference Wednesday, as Showtime Boxing shared (Warning: video contains profanity):

Intense face off between @BronzeBomber & @Tyson_Fury #WilderFury pic.twitter.com/jDNcKKurbm

— All the Smoke Boxing (@atsboxing) November 28, 2018

Both fighters have backed up their actions with some excellent pre-bout bravado. How sure is the 30-year-old Fury that he is going to win?

"I'm going to win this fight—one million per cent," Fury said, per Sky Sports. "There is not a doubt in my mind. No matter what he brings on Saturday night, I will overcome him and win and take the WBC title back to the UK."

It's a fair bit of confidence from a fighter who is three years removed from beating Wladimir Klitschko to become the heavyweight champion of the world. Since then, Fury has talked retirement, created controversy for making derogatory remarks, faced drug bans and had mental health issues.

Fury claims to be back in world-beating form after a couple of tune-up fights and some time spent getting into a good fighting shape, but Wilder isn't having any of it. The Bronze Bomber has gone as far as saying Fury was never worthy of being a heavyweight champion.

"He didn't beat Klitschko; Klitschko beat himself," Wilder said at Wednesday's presser. If Klitschko had shown up and thrown more punches, he'd have won. Everybody knows that. So much emotion is running through my body right now. I was ready two weeks ago. I can't wait to put these hands on you. When I get in the ring, it'll be no more Mr. Nice Guy."

While Fury hasn't had a true challenge in three years, the same can't be said for Wilder. The 33-year-old champion is coming off his most significant win yet, a TKO-victory over the then-undefeated Luis "King Kong" Ortiz in March. Wilder overcame technical shortcomings and a furious seventh-round charge from Ortiz to win that bout in the 10th with one of his trademark right-handed power shots.

Wilder has been criticized for the lack of quality opponents on his resume, but Ortiz was the real deal. Now he has to take on another gifted boxer in Fury.

So can Wilder do it? Can the Alabama-born slugger retain his belt and set up a clash with Joshua? Most seem to think so. The oddsmakers have him as a slight favorite. ESPN.com asked 25 writers, commentators and former and current boxers for their predictions: 20 picked Wilder, two picked Fury and three could see it going either way.

Even the ring itself favors Wilder, per the Daily Star's Chris McKenna:

Fury has had to settle for a 20ft ring for Saturday's fight with Wilder. The smallest allowed is 16ft but the American's team believe getting a 20ft ring is a win after Fury faced Klitschko in a 24ft ring. They believe it will force him to stand and fight.

— Chris McKenna (@cmckennasport) November 29, 2018

Most seem to think Wilder will send Fury crashing to the canvas. It only takes one decent-sized mistake from Fury, and his journey is over. He has been sent to the canvas once in his career, against Steve Cunningham in 2013.

If Fury is going to beat Wilder, he will need all his tricks. Movement is necessary, circling away from the right and keeping the head on a swivel. A solid jab is probably necessary, and some well-time clinching can't hurt when he does have to get in close and senses the power punches coming. The reach advantage (85"  to 83", per BoxRec) will come in handy if he can bank some early rounds and needs to keep Wilder at bay later on.

Considering the path both fighters have taken to get to this point and their various strengths and weaknesses, it does feel like anything could happen Saturday night, and the way it all goes down is important.

The more entertaining the action and decisive the victory, the more pressure it will put on Joshua, the winner and the string-pullers in boxing to put on the megafight the boxing world is waiting for.

Anthony Joshua yet again proved he can deal with adversity in the ring. The heavyweight champion survived an early assault from challenger Alexander Povetkin before going on to win the fight with a seventh-round technical knockout on Saturday night at Wembley Stadium.

Joshua unloaded a stunning combination on a tiring Povetkin, ending it with a devastating right hook. Povetkin was able to get up for the count, but was clearly dazed and defenseless, forcing the referee to step in and end the fight. 

Here's how it looked, per DAZN USA:

And STILL ...

@anthonyfjoshua stops Povetkin with a 7th round knockout, retaining his heavyweight championships. #DAZN🇺🇸 https://t.co/j4BIUf4XnH pic.twitter.com/l6iWVfkt1T

— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) September 22, 2018

CBS Sports Brian Campbell and Ring's Tom Gray reacted to the end of the fight: 

Joshua is one scary finisher. That was fun.

— Brian Campbell (@BCampbell) September 22, 2018

Really nice finish by Joshua. That was great stuff. First right hand that put Povetkin in dream land was a peach #JoshuaPovetkin #boxing

— Tom Gray (@Tom_Gray_Boxing) September 22, 2018

Joshua preserved his undefeated record and retains his IBF, IBO, WBA and WBO world heavyweight titles. After the fight, Joshua said on the DAZN broadcast the top person he would like to face next is Deontay Wilder, the American WBC world heavyweight champion. 

Povetkin had proved himself a difficult opponent, much tougher than the odds would have suggested. He hurt Joshua early and his lunges were hard to time. 

Yahoo Sports' Kevin Iole felt the 39-year-old Russian exposed some flaws in the champion:

AJ did what he needed to do, but he showed plenty of vulnerability. Povetkin was way better than I thought he’d be, but in the end, he couldn’t stand up to that kind of power. #JoshuaPovetkin

— Kevin Iole (@KevinI) September 22, 2018

Povetkin came in as a heavy underdog, but he started the match brightly. A quiet first round ended with a left hook that caused the champion to stumble and turned his nose into a faucet. 

Boxing fan and actress Rosie Perez was in disbelief:

Joshua's nose is bleeding already and it's just the 2nd! Omg! Another good shot by Povetkin! @DAZN_USA #JoshuaPovetkin @MatchroomBoxing #boxing @SkySportsBoxing

— Rosie Perez (@rosieperezbklyn) September 22, 2018

Povetkin's timing was impeccable. With Joshua struggling to establish the jab, the shorter, stockier Russian was able to get inside his range and land sharp counters. The roaring crowd at the start of the fight had gone quiet. Joshua was clearly in for a tough night. 

DAZN USA showed an example of the kind of power punches Povetkin was throwing: 

Povetkin lands with a big right. The challenger taking the fight to @anthonyfjoshua in the early rounds.

Get to #DAZN now to watch #JoshuaPovetkin https://t.co/j4BIUf4XnH pic.twitter.com/LNrkfWkpBQ

— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) September 22, 2018

By the fourth, there was blood on both sides as Joshua opened up a gash over Povetkin's left eye. Joshua was able to quiet his opponent's activity in the fourth round, finding the distance on his jab and throwing it more to the body than the head.

Even though he had that key punch working, he struggled to follow it up with power punches. He also had problems on defense, as Rappler.com's Ryan Songalia noted:

Anthony Joshua might end up winning but he’s going to take a lot of right hands by the time this fight is finished. He has no defense for that Povetkin overhand #JoshuaPovetkin

— Ryan Songalia (@ryansongalia) September 22, 2018

In the seventh round the floodgates opened, likely thanks to the consistency Joshua had found in his jab earlier. Joshua wound up and uncorked a devastating barrage of punches, and ended a fight that could have been trouble for him if it had gone the distance. 

Joshua showed he has fantastic killer instinct, the kind of intangible that can save him in the toughest fights. The 28-year-old Englishman is rightfully one of the sport's biggest stars. He has another date set up at Wembley in April.

It will be difficult to squeeze in the winner of the rumored Wilder-Tyson Fury bout, but that's a fight that should happen sometime in the next year, for the good of the sport. 

World heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua (21-0, 20 KOs) returns to the ring on Saturday, defending his titles against Alexander Povetkin (34-1, 24 KOs) at Wembley Stadium.

Joshua holds the WBA, WBO, IBF and IBO world titles. Povetkin is the WBA mandatory challenger but can snag four belts if he pulls off a massive upset. 

Joshua went the distance for the first time as a pro his last time out, scoring a unanimous-decision win over Joseph Parker in March. Though it was a wide decision on the cards, Joshua did look uncomfortable with Parker's movement at times.

Joshua will be looking for a statement win in this bout and should be eager to pounce on Povetkin. The challenger has to be ready right from the get-go. 

Here's how to watch the fight. 

        

Joshua vs. Povetkin Fight Info

When: Saturday, Sept. 22 at 4:30 p.m. ET

Where: Wembley Stadium, London

TV: Sky Box Office (UK pay-per-view)

Live Stream: Sky Box Office (UK pay-per-view), DAZN (U.S., subscription)

Odds: Joshua -1100 (bet $1,100 to win $100), Povetkin +650 (bet $100 to win $650)

Odds are courtesy of OddsShark.com, updated as of Sept. 20 at 7 a.m. ET.

        

Joshua quickly rose to fame on the strength of his fearsome power. He tore through opponents like tissue paper, ending many of his bouts within three or four rounds.

He finally became a true superstar with a dramatic TKO win over longtime-champion Wladimir Klitschko in April 2017, snagging three world titles and setting himself up as the man to beat in the heavyweight ranks. 

Since that win, the 28-year old Joshua hasn't seemed quite as indestructible. It took until the 10th round for him to finally dispatch a game Carlos Takam in his first post-Klitschko bout.

Against Parker, Joshua couldn't find the finishing punch as he struggled to get into a rhythm, though his power and potential kept Parker from mounting any semblance of an attack. 

It's in Joshua's best interest to come out firing in this fight. A decisive knockout win will burnish his credentials as one of the most fearsome punchers on the planet.

With the boxing world clamoring for Joshua to take on either Deontay Wilder or Tyson Fury, the Watford man will want to not only whet fans' appetite for a potential clash, but to make sure they aren't left with a sour taste on Saturday night following an uninspiring title defense. 

As it happens, Joshua doesn't plan to keep the fight going all night. 

"Hopefully take him down in Round 8," he said, per ESPN.com's Dan Rafael. It's a sensible prediction as far as these things go.

Povetkin is a tough opponent with just one loss in his career, to Klitschko in 2013. The 39-year-old Russian may be up there in years, but he's a careful, crafty fighter and knows all the veteran tricks. He still has some power too, as he knocked out David Price in March to earn his title shot. 

"I think right now I'm in one of the best shapes of my career. Although I'm 39 right now, I feel like I'm 25," he told Rafael, through an interpreter.

Twenty-five happens to be three years younger than Joshua. It's nice to think he feels younger and sprier than his opponents, but few 28-year-olds are built like this:

https://twitter.com/anthonyfjoshua/status/1041431843407572992

Joshua's superhero physique is just part of what makes him such a great boxer and a big draw for the crowds. Povetkin will have his hands full if Joshua decides to come directly at him in this bout. 

The calls for Joshua to take on the other stars in the division will only grow louder if he pulls off the expected Saturday, but they may not speed up the process.

Joshua already has another Wembley date booked for April 2019, and there are talks of a possible bout between Wilder and Fury at the Staples Center in Los Angeles in December, per Lance Pugmire of the Los Angeles Times. If a fight does get made around that time, the winner will want more time to prepare for a clash with Joshua. 

Barring anything extraordinary, Joshua will hopefully be facing one of those two guys within a year or so. Wilder, he of the thermonuclear right hand, holds the WBC world title, the only one missing from Joshua's collection. The eccentric, notorious Fury is a former world titleholder and a fellow Brit. A fight with Joshua would be an easy sell.

There's still plenty to be worked out, but it's getting easier to see how it might all fall into place. 

Tyson Fury (26-0, 19 KOs) has a very winnable fight on Saturday against an experienced pro in Francesco Pianeta (35-4-1, 21 KOs), but all the sound coming from the Fury camp seems to be about the boxer he wants to take on after this upcoming bout. Fury wants WBC world heavyweight titleholder Deontay Wilder, the American boxer with the showstopper of a right hand. Fury is confident he would get the job done.

"Am I confident I can beat Wilder? One hundred per cent. I'll beat them all. Ain't nobody who can touch me, this is my era," he said, per SkySports.com.

Before that happens, Fury has some work to do. After two-and-a-half years away from the ring, Fury began his comeback campaign with an easy victory over Sefer Seferi in June.

Not wasting any time, Fury booked a fight against Pianeta for August 18, not as a headliner, but as the main undercard feature supporting Carl Frampton's interim featherweight title bout against Luke Jackson. Anything, it seems, to get back in the ring and build up momentum. 

Fury insists he is focused and on his way back to the top, but he will have to take care of business against Pianeta before he can get the fights he wants. 

Fury vs. Pianeta Fight Info

When: Saturday, August 18 at 7 p.m. UK time/4 p.m. ET (U.S. stream)

Where: Windsor Park in Belfast, Northern Ireland

TV: BT Sport 1 (UK)

Live Stream: Showtime YouTube and Facebook (per ESPN.com's Dan Rafael)

Fury is a long way from his last big win over Wladimir Klitschko in November 2015, a unanimous decision that saw him win four heavyweight belts. But then drug bans, derogatory comments and flirtations with retirement derailed all his progress. 

The 29-year-old Brit with Irish Traveller roots wants to put all that behind him and capitalize on the persona and talent that had him set up to rule the heavyweight division and become an even bigger star in the sport. 

"The old Tyson Fury is gone, never to be seen again in history. The new Tyson Fury is here now," he said Tuesday, per BBC.com. 

His comeback got off to a fast start, although his in-ring antics are apparently part of both the old and new Tyson. He spent a couple rounds mostly taunting Seferi, before buckling down in the fourth frame and forcing his physically overmatched opponent to quit in the corner. 

It remains to be seen how Fury approaches his bout against the experienced Pianeta. He would do well to book a few more rounds and sharpen his technique or go for broke right away and show he has power and a killer instinct. But as an overwhelming favorite—with -8500 odds (bet $8,500 to win $100) on OddsShark as of August 16—Fury could find himself toying with Pianeta before putting him away. 

Pianeta is a 33-year-old southpaw who has had chances at the top of the division, but they did not go well. He fought Ruslan Chagaev in 2015 for the WBA world heavyweight title and Klitschko in 2013 for multiple world titles. Both times, Pianeta lost by stoppage. He's well past his prime now and is the kind of fighter that Fury should have no problem beating if he is to chart a path back to the top of the division.

"What you’re likely to see from me on Saturday is a heavyweight Sugar Ray Leonard. Anything less is a failure. Judge me on that comment—a heavyweight Sugar Ray Leonard," Fury said, per the Press Association (h/t the Guardian). 

If Fury can indeed dazzle on Saturday, he should have no problem finalizing a showdown with Wilder. Showtime Sports president Stephen Espinoza said the fight was "very, very close" on August 9, per ESPN.com's Dan Rafael. The potential pay-per-view bout would draw plenty of interest on both sides of the Atlantic. It would also create the perfect launching pad for the winner to then take on the supreme star of the heavyweight ranks, Anthony Joshua, though nothing is set in stone.

Wilder and Joshua have been in each other's orbits for some time now, though a matchup has failed to materialize. Throwing Fury into the mix would put some pressure on those two, as well as any other top-shelf boxer in the heavyweight division. If Fury can stay focused, healthy and get past Pianeta, the biggest division in boxing only gets more interesting.

Vitali Klitschko and Jim Gray highlighted Sunday's induction ceremony for the International Boxing Hall of Fame's 2018 class.

"It's not reality—it's dream," Klitschko said, per the Associated Press (via ESPN.com). "I never expected I will be in [the Hall of Fame]. I didn't expect one day I become world champion in the United States. I'm very proud to be together with boxing legends. It's a dream to be in with Muhammad Ali."

Former boxers Erik Morales, Ronald "Winky" Wright and Sid Terris were also inducted along with broadcaster Steve Albert, German promoter Klaus-Peter Kohl, ring announcer Johnny Addie and promoter Lorraine Chargin. Terris, Addie and Chargin were honored posthumously.

Klitschko is the biggest name among the boxers inducted, finishing his career with a 45-2 record before his final fight in 2012. He won the WBO, WBA and WBC world heavyweight titles, completing one of the longest reigns in boxing history.

Along with his brother, Wladimir, the Klitschkos dominated the heavyweight division for close to a decade.

Vitali Klitschko ended his boxing career to pursue a political career in Ukraine, and he is now the mayor of Kiev.

Meanwhile, Gray has been a well-known broadcaster throughout his career, perhaps best known in the boxing community for his work covering the Mike Tyson-Evander Holyfield fight. Tyson was the one who introduced the 59-year-old.

"This award is way, way overdue," Tyson said. "I'm very proud of you. Well-deserved."

Gray spent about 40 years in boxing, mostly working for Showtime.

Tyson Fury will make his long-awaited return to boxing on Saturday night after a two-year, seven-month absence when he takes on the unheralded Sefer Seferi in a heavyweight bout at the Manchester Arena. 

Last time Fury (25-0, 18 KOs) was in the ring, he defeated Wladimir Klitschko to win an alphabet soup of heavyweight titles and assume the mantle as the main draw in boxing's top division. His career quickly went off the rails, with a failed drug test, a backdated doping ban, offensive comments and announcing his retirement from the sport on more than one occasion.

A rematch with Klitschko never materialized, and Fury had to relinquish his titles. In his time away from the ring, Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder rose up to become the top draws in the division.

Fury, 29, is back now, in a good frame of mind and ready to take back the division. Seferi (23-1, 21 KOs) isn't an inspiring first opponent for his return, but it will be a good test to see if the former champion has what it takes to shake up the division.

            

Fury vs. Seferi Fight Info

When: Saturday, June 9 at 4:30 p.m. ET

Where: Manchester Arena in Manchester, England

TV: BT Sport (UK)

Live Stream: Showtime Youtube (US)

If Fury's recent comments are anything to go by, the Manchester-born fighter is feeling better than he has in some time.

"No nerves at all. I feel like I've been a goldfish in a tank, trapped, and now I'm getting released back into the river where I belong. So just put me there and watch me swim," he said Wednesday, per Reuters.

Fury's upbeat comments reflect how far he has bounced back from rock bottom. In an interview with BBC Sport's Matt Davis, Fury admitted he has suffered from depression and substance-abuse issues. A two-and-a-half year absence from fighting would be the death knell for many boxers' careers, but Fury said the long break was exactly what he needed.

"I needed the rest," said Fury, per Davis. "I felt tired of boxing, drained. I needed to be rejuvenated; 100 percent the break benefited me."

The self-proclaimed "Gypsy King" (Fury has Irish Traveller roots) will look to prove he's back to his world-beating ways against Seferi. Fury is 6'9" with an 85-inch reach, per Box Rec, making it difficult for his opponents to wade their way past a jab and get in close. Even when they do get in range, Fury has the power to beat them back with 18 knockouts in his undefeated career. 

Seferi, a 39-year-old Albanian, has mostly fought at cruiserweight. He is a heavy underdog in this bout. As of Thursday, June 7, per OddsShark, Seferi's odds are at +1600 (bet $100 to win $1600), while Fury is at a staggering -10000. Seferi has shown power in his career with 21 knockouts, but he hasn't fought anyone of note. 

If Fury is still even half the fighter he was in 2015 when he beat Kiltschko and earned Ring's Fighter of the Year award, he should have no problem pleasing the hometown crowd and dispatching Seferi with ease. It's been a long time away, but Fury has the skills, mind and once again it seems, the desire, to be a world-class boxer.

A good showing against Seferi, and Fury's name and reputation could soon have him in the mix with the likes of Wilder and Joshua, assuming he keeps up the motivation to be there.

Tony Bellew believes if David Haye comes in under a certain weight ahead of their rematch on Saturday he will be "extremely dangerous for a much longer period." 

The heavyweight pair go head-to-head for the second time at London's O2 Arena with Bellew having prevailed in their first fight by an 11th round TKO 14 months ago.

The weigh-in for the fight takes place on Friday, and Bellew, 35, has admitted he will be interested in Haye's weight as it will make a difference on the night, per Richard Damerell of Sky Sports: 

"If he's under a certain weight in my mind, he's extremely dangerous for a much longer period. But if he's over a certain limit that I think he'll be, then he's going to be very dangerous for a short time. Either way, he's going to be dangerous. I've got to be careful, because I'm not stupid. This fight could end in 20 seconds."

Haye was hobbled by an Achilles injury in the sixth round of the pair's first meeting but gamely battled on before eventually being stopped.

The 37-year-old's injury prompted a fascinating back and forth between Haye and Bellew, but it changed the balance of the fight.

Saturday will be a chance for Haye to prove he only lost first time around because of the injury, while Bellew will be eager to show he can down the former heavyweight champion even when he is fully fit.

Boxing expert Steve Bunce said on BBC 5 Live Sport ahead of the weigh-in that Bellew seemed the calmer of the two fighters:

'Haye looked on edge, Bellew was the calmest I'd ever seen him'.@BigDaddyBunce's assessment following the final #HayeBellew press conference.

Just two days until the big fight..... pic.twitter.com/efma8nAdcy

— BBC 5 Live Sport (@5liveSport) May 3, 2018

The Merseysider is unbeaten in his last nine fights, a run stretching back to March 2014.

Meanwhile, Haye has only fought three times since coming out of retirement in 2016.

The Bellew defeat followed two easy comeback victories over Mark de Mori and Arnold Gjergjaj, and another loss on Saturday could send him back into retirement. 

It's been 14 months since David Haye and Tony Bellew clashed in their first heavyweight meeting at London's O2 Arena.

On that occasion the Liverpool-born Bellew stopped Haye in the 11th round, but the former heavyweight champion had suffered an Achilles injury in the sixth, hampering his movement.

The pair meet for a rematch at the same venue on Saturday, and if it is anything like their first encounter it should be a superb spectacle.

       

Date: Saturday, May 5

Start Time: Approx 10 p.m. BST, 5 p.m. ET

TV Info: Sky Sports Box Office (UK), AWE (U.S.)

Live Stream: Sky Sports Box Office, 

        

Bellew, 35, has made confident noises ahead of the rematch with Haye.

He has vowed to finish his fellow Briton before the eighth round and said Haye "should have stayed well clear of me," per BBC Sport.

For his part, the 37-year-old Haye has admitted he "overestimated" himself by coming out of retirement and taking only two easy fights before meeting Bellew.

Per Sky Sports James Dielhenn, he acknowledged that his 2012 knockout victory of Dereck Chisora was his last real challenge before the first Bellew clash, as between those two bouts he easily dispatched Mark de Mori and Arnold Gjergjaj:

"The Dereck Chisora fight was my last competitive boxing match. Outside of that, in the two comeback fights, I didn't get punched once. It was just me beating someone up. I overestimated how good I was. I thought that I was as good as I was in 2012. You can't just take a break, come back, and expect to be just as good. You need to work your way back up."

Despite eventually losing to Bellew last March Haye came out of the fight with plenty of credit.

He was praised by Frank Bruno and Amir Khan for carrying on despite his injury:

Guts & determination, massive credit to @mrdavidhaye but that big heart won the fight on the night @TonyBellew #HayeBellew

— Frank Bruno MBE 🇬🇧 (@frankbrunoboxer) March 4, 2017

Showed a lot of heart today champ @mrdavidhaye you'll be back stronger 👊🏼

— Amir Khan (@amirkingkhan) March 4, 2017

He will be desperate to prove it was only due to the Achilles injury that he was downed last time out.

But Bellew will be equally eager to show he can beat Haye at heavyweight even with the London-born fighter fully fit.

Although it was a fascinating contest, in large part due to Haye's stubbornness in carrying on, the pair's first fight was lacking as it was impossible to know what the outcome would have been were it not for Haye being hobbled halfway through.

It is right that they should come together to face off again, and with both men hopefully fit and firing on all cylinders, it could be an even more spectacular occasion. 

Former world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury will make his return to the ring on June 9 in Manchester, England.

Per the Mirror's Jake Polden, promoter Frank Warren confirmed the return of the undefeated 29-year-old, who has not fought since beating Wladimir Klitschko in November 2015 to claim the IBF, WBA and WBO heavyweight titles.  

At a press conference, Fury said he is fitter than he has ever been ahead of his comeback fight, per BT Sport:

Tyson Fury: "I'm a lot, lot, lot, lot lighter than I was. I'm the fittest I've ever been.

"I kid you not. The reflexes are as good as they've ever been."

Join us live 👇https://t.co/sjeWImXml5

— Boxing on TNT Sports (@boxingontnt) April 12, 2018

Fury's next opponent has yet to be announced, but no matter who he takes on, it will be a major occasion.

The Gypsy King, who boasts a record of 29-0, had the suspension of his boxing license lifted in January after it was revoked due to doping suspicions.

The Englishman's likely eventual goal is to take on compatriot Anthony Joshua, who holds the IBF, IBO, WBO and WBA heavyweight titles.

However, Fury will need to prove his form before he gets another shot at a title, given that he has spent so much time out of the ring. 

Deontay Wilder is ready to take on Anthony Joshua in a heavyweight unification fight this summer in the United Kingdom, the American fighter's co-manager, Shelly Finkel, has confirmed.

In the wake of Joshua adding the WBO title to his IBF and WBA heavyweight belts by beating Joseph Parker in Cardiff, Wales, on Saturday, Finkel said on Monday that WBC champion Wilder is prepared to meet the Englishman, and it doesn't matter where the fight is held, per Gareth A. Davies in the Telegraph: 

"We are really glad that Anthony Joshua said for the first time 'I will fight Deontay next...' and we believe he is a man of his word. Deontay accepts the challenge.

"We want to make it public that Deontay wants the fight, and we are prepared to come over, or meet here and get the deal done. Deontay is ready to sign and come to the UK to fight this summer."

Wilder, 32, is open to accepting a 60/40 split for the fight purse, according to Davies. The two camps have also discussed a two-fight deal, the first of which likely would take place at London's Wembley Stadium before a return clash in Las Vegas or New York.

Per Sky Sports' James Dielhenn, Russia's Alexander Povetkin is the mandatory challenger to Joshua's WBA belt, and a bout between the pair is likely to be forced soon. However, Finkel believes a unification fight—which would result in one fighter holding all four major heavyweight belts for the first time in history—would trump any mandatory obligations, per Davies:

"We're ready. Let's do it. And anyway, unification fights always trump mandatories. A unification between Wilder and Joshua would push the mandatories back.

"Assuming it will be Wembley Stadium in the summer, we are ready, and if they are ready as they say they are, we want to get it done. We want the fight, they want the fight, the public wants the fight. There is nothing to stop it going ahead."

Joshua's rise has breathed new life into the heavyweight division. Against Parker, he claimed his first-ever decision after 20 consecutive knockout victories in his first 20 professional bouts. 

The Alabama-born Wilder is also undefeated, with 39 knockouts and one decision in 40 contests.

Joshua, 28, vowed to knock Wilder out after his defeat of Parker, per talkSport:

Anthony Joshua is ready for @BronzeBomber 🥊 pic.twitter.com/s7o0jsf3W5

— talkSPORT (@talkSPORT) April 2, 2018

The Olympic gold medallist now looks closer than ever to getting his chance, with the American having seemingly conceded to fight in England rather than his homeland.