Tyson Fury has placed a dangling carrot in the direction of two big names who once ruled the world and commanded the attention the 29 year old, unbeaten former heavyweight champ enjoys (this despite the fact that Fury has not boxed in well over two long years).
Via social media, Fury – who was this week stripped of his Ring Magazine heavyweight championship belt and is still to officially announce either a date or an opponent for his long awaited ring return – remarked how he will be sending out a fight contract to Shannon Briggs and also one to Antonio Tarver. As fans know, both veterans (Briggs is 46, Tarver, the former undisputed light-heavyweight king, is almost 50) have shown plenty of interest in facing the controversial, globally famous “Gypsy King,” and Fury appears to have some interest in getting it on with both former champs.
However, in typical Tyson Fury style, he seems to have ripped the rug right from under both men just hours after putting out his initial tweet that expressed his desire to fight Briggs and Tarver:
“This is a message to Shannon “The Cannon” Briggs. First of all, Let’s go Champ! Second of all I am going to send you a fight contract, get you signed up good and proper so you have something to train for,” Fury wrote in Twitter NO1. “Keep yourself in shape, get fit, pump a bit of iron and do a bit of sparring. You can even come and do a bit of training if you want. No problem. We will get it on – a contract is coming your way from me.”
But then, just hours later, Fury tweeted thus:
“Hi guys, this is just to clarify something. I tweeted Shannon Briggs before about a fight, came in with a contract. He will not be my comeback fight but I am going to sign him up anyway for whenever I am ready. I am going to sign Antonio Tarver up too. Tarver, if you are watching, and Briggs, I am going to send you some contracts but don’t expect to be my comeback fights. So train, prepare and get ready.”
So, what the……!? Who WILL Fury fight in his (still to be announced) comeback fight? In truth, though we already know who the winner would be, Fury against either Tarver or Briggs would prove intriguing enough in phase-one of Fury’s comeback. But is Fury actually planning to have a few fights on his comeback – against some as yet unknown heavyweight and then against Briggs and/or Tarver – before going in with the big guns (Joshua, Wilder, etc)?
Who knows? It’s always tough to decipher just what Fury is really thinking. But Briggs and Tarver will certainly be looking forward to receiving those fight contracts. Neither former champion has had a big fight in years and that date with Fury would likely bring in a decent enough pile of cash.
