Today, Wladimir Klitschko took a shot at Tyson Fury on social media by reminding him of his positive test for a performance-enhancing drug [PED] before their fight in 2015.
The reason for retired former heavyweight champion Wladimir speaking up today is his reaction to Fury’s comments about fellow Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk on Tuesday in which he said this on social media:
“You’ve let a little steroid man [Usyk] come up from middleweight and set about ye and take all your belts.”
Fury’s comment was made to former IBF, WBA & WBO heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua in ripping him over his 12 round unanimous decision loss to Usyk (19-0, 13 KOs) last September 25th in London, UK.
“@Tyson_Fury, you live in a glasshouse, and someone needs to take away your stones,” said Wladimir Klitschko on social media. “It wasn’t long ago before our fight where you ACTUALLY tested positive. Anyone can Google it. Keep it classy!!! #usykchampion #ukraine #hypocrite @usykaa.”
It might not make Fury’s boxing fans happy seeing Wladimir telling him that he’s a hypocrite about talking about steroids. Still, there’s no denying that Tyson did test positive for the PED Nanondrolone in 2015.
Although Fury would later in the same year defeat then IBF/WBA/WBO heavyweight champion Klitschko by a 12 round unanimous decision in Dusseldorf, Germany, the fact that Tyson had tested positive for the PED Nandrolone earlier in the year took away the shine.
There wasn’t an asterisk next to Fury’s win over Wladimir in the record books due to his positive test for nandrolone. Still, it took away the credit that Tyson would have gotten for some boxing fans if he had not tested positive for the performance-enhancing drug that year.
Wladimir and Fury were supposed to fight a rematch in April 2016, but Tyson gained a bunch of weight, suffered an ankle injury, and lost motivation.
Wladimir would likely have beaten Fury in the second fight, given that he knew what he’d done wrong in the previous contest, and he hadn’t let himself go physically the way the ‘Gyspy King’ had. At that time in Fury’s life, he reportedly ballooned up to 330 lbs after living it up from his win over Wladimir.
Fury reacted as Andy Ruiz Jr. did after his upset win over Anthony Joshua in June 2019. In their rematch, Ruiz gained much weight from eating, partying, and not training and eventually lost the three belts to Joshua.
Tyson wasn’t happy that Joshua lost the three titles that he had briefly held in November 2015 following his win over IBF/WBA/WBO heavyweight champion Wladimir.
The Ukrainian was 39-years-old at the time and not quite the fighter he’d been after losing his trainer Emanuel Steward, who had passed away three years earlier in September 2012.
It will not help Joshua for Fury to shame him about his loss to Usyk and lecture him for losing his three titles.
Joshua isn’t good enough to hold on to any titles at this point in his career, so he’s not going to be able to keep his straps if he recaptures them in the rematch with Usyk in April.
There are so many heavyweights waiting in line to beat Joshua if he gets lucky and wins back his three titles. Joshua is someone that will remain popular like Dereck Chisora, but he’s not going to be able to stay on top as a world champion for long if he regains his three belts from Usyk next April.
Looking at Fury’s last performance and noting his physical deterioration due to age, he’s probably not going to hold onto his WBC title for long either. Let’s face it, Fury and Joshua’s time at the top is dwindling, and it may be soon over.
