Tyson Fury gives his fight with Anthony Joshua a “1%” chance of happening and says he has heard David Benavidez mentioned as a replacement. Fury even calls Benavidez a much tougher opponent. It is a bold offer, but the December schedule makes it difficult to take seriously as an immediate Plan B.
Fury said he was being booked to fly to London for Wednesday’s press conference before receiving a call that the Joshua fight was in trouble. He blamed Joshua’s side and its objection to Dana White’s involvement. That remains Fury’s account of the dispute, rather than proof Joshua intends to pull out.
“I already heard last night that they were trying for replacements. All the big names, like David Benavidez. What a fight that’d be. That would be unbelievable. But the only thing is with David Benavidez is [he’s] about four to five times harder [a] fight than Joshua. I’ll take it because that’s what I do,” Fury said on FurociTV.
Fury went further, claiming Benavidez would stop Joshua in about three rounds. That gets his preferred message across: he is willing to fight anyone, while Joshua is holding up the bout. It also puts Benavidez’s name in the headlines without requiring Fury to sign for him.
Benavidez is set to face Michal Cieslak at cruiserweight in Phoenix on December 12, the day after Fury and Joshua are due to meet in Cardiff. The Cieslak fight leads toward a possible meeting with Jai Opetaia. For Benavidez to replace Joshua, he would have to abandon that path on short notice and move from 200 pounds to face a 6’9″ heavyweight. Fury may be willing, but Benavidez and his team have little reason to make that switch now.
There is a problem for Cardiff, too. Fury–Joshua is a British stadium event built around two names the home crowd has wanted to see together for years. Fury–Benavidez could be a fascinating fight, but it would be a different sell at Principality Stadium. Replacing Joshua on the poster would not necessarily preserve the event’s ticket demand.
That makes Fury’s offer useful whether or not Benavidez accepts it. It keeps pressure on Joshua’s side and reminds Turki Alalshikh and Sela how much of the Cardiff plan depends on settling the White dispute. Benavidez is a compelling opponent. He is not a ready-made replacement for December 11.
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