Tyson Fury broke out against ranking led by Canelo Álvarez: “A garbage”

On the eve of defending his World Boxing Council (WBC) world title against Dillian Whyte, Tyson Fury spoke about the current situation of boxing and, although he recognized his good level in the sport, questioned the title of Saul Alvarez as the best fighter in the world. On the contrary, he hinted that he should be the one who tops the ranking of best pound for pound.

“The ranking is not a real thing. I don't do things that aren't real. Canelo is not my size and I can never be the size of Canelo. It's like saying: if I have a jet pack attached to my back and add wings to it, will I be able to fly faster than an airplane? So the ranking debate is rubbish,” he said during an interview with ESPN.

And the fact is that the native of Manchester, England, assured that the most valid criterion for defining the best exponent of the sport in the world should be direct power in the ring. In that sense, he assured that being the undefeated champion in the category above 200 pounds no other representative could beat him in a face-to-face match, so he should be the one at the top.

“I understand why they do it. To give small fighters (from lighter categories) more relevance. But pound for pound is the biggest garbage I've ever heard. No one can beat a heavyweight. I am the king of the jungle, the lion”, he assured before the media microphones.

Their power in the discipline is indisputable. In 14 years of professional career, Tyson Fury has not known defeat or fallen to the canvas. Since 2008 he has led 32 fights of which he has gone ahead in 31, with 22 knockouts, and has allowed only one draw, which was against Deontay Wilder in the WBC world title fight in 2018.

Despite his good stride as a boxer and on track to equalize a record imposed by the legendary boxer of the same category, Rocky Marciano, who retired undefeated after having engaged in 49 matches with 43 knockouts, Tyson Fury has not been considered in the top 10 of the world's best boxers performed by The magazine Ring. The one who does appear on the list is Oleksandr Usyk, Fury's full weight rival.

The Ring magazine places Saúl Álvarez in first place in the standings, followed by Usyk, who has titles endorsed by the World Boxing Association (WBA), International Boxing Federation (IBF), World Boxing Organization (WBO) and has a professional record of 19-0 and 13 victories via the chloroform. Where Fury does appear is in the particular classification of his category, as champion.

Although the English boxer lashed out against the election criteria and the appointment of Canelo Álvarez as the best pound for pound, he also praised the support he has received from the Mexican fans, which has prompted him to become one of the best athletes of the moment in the discipline.

“I see Canelo's fights, he's a great fighter. Very entertaining. I would like to attend his fight against Dmitry Bivol in Las Vegas (...) People in Mexico are very good, hardworking people. One of my coaches, Jorge Capetillo, is from Mexico. I love Mexican culture. Great fighters. A nation that fights,” he declared.

Both Fury and Canelo will have relevant appearances in 2022. The Englishman will seek to retain his belt in the mandatory defense against his compatriot Dillian Whyte. Meanwhile, the Mexican will fight against Dmitry Bivol in the semi-complete weight class to seek his second crown, as well as one more in September against Gennady Golovkin.

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