By: Sean Crose
“Tyson Fury is coming home,” stated the Netflix streaming service on a Wednesday post. “TYSON FURY vs. ARSLANBEK MAKHMUDOV. Saturday April 11 from the United Kingdom — and LIVE only on Netflix.” And so former world titlist Tyson Fury’s return to the ring has been made official. Not that anyone is probably at all surprised. Fury is known to retire and then come back. It’s actually part of his reputation at this point. Still Fury’s last fight against Olexandr Usyk, who had already defeated him previously, ended up in a disappointment for the towering Englishman. It’s clear the fighter known as the Gypsy King now wants to make things right.
Fury posted a video of himself in what appeared to be a bathtub Wednesday to mark the occasion. “I’m absolutely psyched,” he said. “Ready today. The Mac is back. April, UK. I’ve been away 4 years but I’m back now and I also brought the biggest streaming platform alive along with me. Who else could bring that to Britain? And the year we have planned… This is just the tip of the iceberg. He’s back!
While Makhmudov may not be as well known or highly regarded as Fury, there’s no doubt the Canadian by way of Russia is a tough customer to deal with. Said to wrestle bears, the contender has lost but two fights in a career that’s been nothing short of impressive “I am thrilled about the opportunity,” Makhmudov said via Sky Sports. “I’m coming to deliver a war. Tyson Fury has been a big champion. I will be more ready than ever to leave with a massive W.”
Fury is one of the most colorful and decorated fighters in the world. He’s been a world titlist twice, and his having emerged victorious from a three-fight war with the incredibly hard-hitting Deontay Wilder only added to his reputation. Will he be the same Fury now as he’s been, however, is the question. He had trouble against Francis Ngannou of the UFC in a boxing match a few years back. And, of course, Usyk handily defeated him on two occasions.
That question (Has Fury still got it?) may be the reason why Netflix is willing to run the bout with no extra charge. Fury is a big name in the big man’s division. People are always curious about what he has to say. Now they’re going to be curious about how he’s going to look in his return to the ring. No doubt this should be a win all around for Fury, Netflix, Turki Alalshikh, Fury promoter Frank Warren, and of course, Makhmudov.
