Fury Tested Wins Split Decision

Photo: Special To The NY Beacon

By Joshua Garcia

Countless American sports fans will turn their attention to Baseball’s Fall Classic or their favorite Sunday NFL rituals, but a new contender has emerged out of the Middle East. After wooing the likes of the World’s most popular athlete in Cristiano Ronaldo, Saudi Arabia has gone full board on bringing the planet’s most sought after entertainers to its backyard, and if you are going to go after a boxer, it’s definitely Tyson Fury you’d want. 

Boxing aficionados in the Middle East clamored for the charismatic, larger than life superstar in 6’9 Wythenshawe, United Kingdom born, Tyson Fury. Following an incomparable lineup to begin the event coined ‘Riyadh Season’, featuring concerts from Becky G, Lil Baby, Skillrex and Eminem, Fury would headline with a 10-round premiere matchup with the UFC’s biggest name and champion, in Francis Ngannou. 

Fight fans were treated to an exhibition between the top heavyweights in both the Sweet Science of Boxing and the Mixed Martial Arts discipline of the UFC, only comparable to the matchup of Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Connor McGregor in 2017. In this version however, you are talking about two champions at the top of their respective games, with neither coming out of retirement as was Mayweather before that first crossover bout. 

An outside perspective may look upon the matchup as novelty or a gimmick for a money grab, but Francis Nagganou it was the realization of a life-long dream. Born into poverty in his native Cameroon, Nagganou yearned to be a professional Boxer and looked up to Brooklyn’s own Mike Tyson. Following six failed attempts to escape by sea from Cameroon, Ngannou finally made it to Europe where he began his pursuit, and ironically was trained by his idol Mike Tyson, for the bout against Tyson Fury in Saudi Arabia. 

With not even a single bout under his belt, Francis Ngannou entered the ring to stand toe-to-toe with the top ranked heavyweight boxer in the fight game. As a long shot, Ngannou proceeded to hold his own and even knock the mammoth Fury to the canvas in the third round of the aptly named “Battle of the Baddest.” 

The second half of the head-to-head duel lacked the excitement of the ring walks and the knockdown, leading to a controversial split decision in which Tyson Fury was named winner. Proponents of both Boxing and UFC stood on their soapboxes claiming victory and superiority in Combat Sports, but the true impact will be on the future of each sport. This may very well be the start of a shift toward headliners and top sporting events toward the affluent Middle East and the hunger for American entertainment in their neck of the woods. 

As a new professional baseball league emerges from the Middle East featuring numerous former MLB stars and legends, could we see Boxing and UFC’s biggest names continue to follow the money into the desert of Riyadh, instead of Las Vegas? With Boxing facing the monumental shutdowns of HBO and Showtime’s coverage of the sport, there may be no other choice but to continue to bolt for “greener” pastures.