Lineal heavyweight champion Tyson Fury and his Hall of Fame promoter, Queensberry Promotions? Frank Warren, have signed a co-promotional deal with Top Rank and its network of choice ESPN.
Whether or not the signing has sent shock waves through the industry depends on who you ask and how much awareness of the shenanigans of the games promoters play one cares to admit.
Although neither Al Haymon and Premier Boxing Champions nor Eddie Hearn and Matchroom Boxing were mentioned in today?s announcement, it?s reasonable to assume that the ongoing feuds between these competing entities and their platforms played at least some part in the signing, which locks Fury into a contract that may prevent his fighting the fight most fight fans want to see.
With the stalled career of Terence Crawford, who is fighting men not fit to carry his jockstrap as a template, Fury?s rematch with Deontay Wilder, which is presumably scheduled for May 18 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, looks like it won?t be happening anytime soon.
It?s possible that ESPN and Showtime will put aside their differences and split the pay-per-view revenue so the rematch can proceed. But the mutual loathing between Top Rank?s Bob Arum and PBC?s Al Haymon, neither of whom needs the other at this point, and with the pure-as-snow WBC as a wild card in the proceedings, may be an obstacle impossible to overcome, no matter much money is in the offing for them to share on an equitable basis.
In the past, mortal enemies Arum and Don King worked together on rare occasions when it was mutually beneficial to both parties. They were able to transcend the racial divide and put aside the greed and animus both men possess. But the Arum-Haymon divide is as much racial as it is generational and philosophical, so we best refrain from jumping to conclusions, even when they?re staring us in the face.
