What does Dez Bryant have to do with heavyweight boxing?
Well, nothing really … but all you have to do is look back on the former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver's expletive back-and-forth with the team's PR man Rich Dalrymple for my exact feelings on what is happening right now in the world of pugilism.
And hey, there are boxers with that name (like Richard Commey and Richard Riakporhe), but I don't think they carry enough clout to fix this situation.
I mean, I probably don't either … but here we go nonetheless!
Look at the heavyweight boxing landscape right now. With Anthony Joshua, Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury a combined 90-0-2 (with 80 total knockouts) and each having a legitimate claim to the heavyweight title, this is the most interesting time for big boy boxing since the mid- to late-90s when Evander Holyfield, Lennox Lewis, Mike Tyson and Riddick Bowe (yeah, don't forget him) were running the scene.
So, they are only fighting each other, right?
NOPE!
Sure, Fury and Wilder fought to a majority draw (the only non-win on any of the big 3's resumes) back in December, but neither one of them moved on to Joshua or a rematch. Nope, instead they all chose a bunch of tin cans.
Think that language is too harsh? Well, none of their next opponents is in ESPN.com's Top 10. Wilder just knocked out Dominic Breazeale in 2:17, because of course he did! Breazeale had previously fought Joshua and was stopped by him … so who could've seen Saturday's result coming. Get ready for similar outcomes in the upcoming weeks as Joshua faces Andy Ruiz (June 1 at Madison Square Garden) and Fury matches up with Tom Schwarz (June 15 at the MGM Grand). Ruiz has fought for a legitimate heavyweight title once … and he lost, while Schwarz has fought a plethora of fighters not even worthy of a Wikipedia page.
Hmmmmm … wonder what's going to happen in those two bouts.
And you'd think that DAZN (Which is pronounced Da Zone … yes, I know it's stupid), or ESPN+, which are televising the Joshua and Fury bouts, respectively, would have a vested interest in making competitive, compelling fights that would get people to subscribe.
And those fights are sitting right in front of all of us!
Seriously, I'm not saying any of my proposed bouts would be Ali-Frazier I in terms of hype level, but they would easily be the most hyped heavyweight fight since Lewis-Tyson … and that was in 2002! And you can do them again and again over the next couple of years. Wilder-Fury 2, Wilder-Joshua 1, definitely at least 2, maybe 3 and ditto Fury-Joshua.
So, after June 15, stop this nonsense. Please Wilder, Fury and Joshua don't accept any fight contract that doesn't have one of those other names on it. Tell your managers who works for who and get it done. I thank you, the boxing community will thank you, boxing fans will thank you and the box office (which, c'mon, we all know that's what really matters) will thank you.
