Tyson Fury confirmed on Monday what had appeared likely for 48 hours, he was “moving on” from Deontay Wilder and that trilogy fight.
‘The Gypsy King’ (30-0-1) told The Athletic that he was instead looking to fight a different opponent in the UK in December. Then of course would come the massive unification showdown with Anthony Joshua next summer.
Despite his crushing defeat by Fury in February, the big-punching Wilder still presented a significant risk to Fury vs Joshua.
It’s for that reason that former world light-middleweight king Sergio Mora thinks Fury made a very smart move.
And Mora says he knows the perfect December opponent for Fury – former world champion Charles Martin.
He told DAZN’s ‘Jabs with Mannix & Mora’: “I’ve been saying this all along.I think they should go straight into the 2021 fight. Not risk losing.
“But since they both want to get that tune-up fight, I think that’s the right idea. Kubrat Pulev for Joshua. Charles Martin makes sense for me, a former champion, for Tyson Fury.”
Joshua has not fought since outpointing Andy Ruiz Jr in Saudi Arabia in December 2019. Fury has been inactive since the rematch win over Wilder in February 2020.
Minimise risk to Fury vs Joshua
Mora says he can understand why there is a need for both men to fight again before they meet each other. But he says they must minimise the risk of something scuppering their huge 2021 payday.
“They’re safe mandatories, safe tune-up fights leading to the mega fight,” he said Mora.
“I think both of them need that to knock that rust off and shake off 2020.
“It has to be a safe and respectable opponent. You don’t want no Andy Ruiz coming in and messing up the undisputed championship of the world.
“Someone with a respectable name, a former champion, but that’s also tall, that can get you ready for Anthony Joshua’s size. I think Charles Martin hits all those check boxes for me. But either way, a smart move.”
It appears likely that Fury’s fight would take place on Saturday December 5. Joshua defends his IBF, WBA and WBO titles against Pulev a week later on Saturday December 12.
Martin of course is a former Joshua victim. AJ won his first world title when he blasted the American to defeat inside two rounds in April 2016.
