In light of the latest big name heavyweight to become embroiled in a PEDS issue, it would be very bad taste for any promoter to reward Jarrell Miller, who of course flunked a test or tests back in May of this year, with a big fight. Tyson Fury has spoken recently about possibly fighting the unbeaten New Yorker known as “Big Baby” next, that he doesn’t care about what Miller does and puts into his body.
Fury is looking at fighting next in October, and the word is the brass at ESPN are insistent his dance partner be an American fighter. Assuming all things decent happen and it will not be Miller in the opposite corner, who might it be? According to top scribe Mike Coppinger, via a tweet, “sources” say former IBF heavyweight champ Charles Martin is “an option to fight Tyson Fury in the fall.”
This may or may not be looked at as a good fight by the majority of fans, yet the southpaw known as “Price Charles” is arguably a stiffer test than was Fury’s last foe – the unbeaten by severely untested Tom Schwarz. Martin briefly held the IBF belt after it was stripped from Fury just days after his big upset win over Wladimir Klitschko back in November of 2015; this act a quite unfair one in the opinion of most everybody. Martin wound up beating Vyacheslav Glazkov after the Ukrainian fighter’s blown knee ended the fight and with it his own career to take the vacant strap.
Martin, who spoke of “walking this earth like a God,” crashed badly in his first defence, being stopped in just a couple of rounds by Anthony Joshua. Since then, having fought on and off, Martin has boxed just five times since crumbling to Joshua in April of 2016. Martin looked pretty good, and determined, in the one fight of these comeback bouts that he actually lost: dropping a decision to unbeaten Polish warrior Adam Kownacki in an entertaining fight.
Since that September 2018 defeat, Martin has bounced off two so-so wins, over Gregory Corbin and, last time out, Daniel Martz. Now 27-2-1(24), 33 year old Martin has spoken of his desire and belief of ruling the world again. If he does fight Fury and beats him, Martin would be able to lay claim to being the lineal heavyweight champ. But can Martin beat Fury? Can he even be competitive with the unbeaten “Gypsy King?”
Fury has that massive return fight with Deontay Wilder to look forward to, next year some time, so it’s understandable that he’s not going to take on anyone too dangerous before then. Martin, despite the way he seemed to capitulate against Joshua, and despite the loss to Kownacki, is an at least respectable opponent for Fury.
Just don’t expect fans to get too excited about this match-up if it does indeed get made. Fury might have to entertain us all with another memorable ring walk.
