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The heavyweight division has always been the land of opportunity but there has never been a better time to be a young, talented big man.
And, although he seems to have been around for years, at 30 years old, Hughie Fury remains young in heavyweight terms.
Fury, 28-3 (16 KOs), boxes Germany’s Christian Thun, 9-1 (7 KOs), on GBM’s latest show on Friday night and knows that he is with touching distance of a return to the big time.
Whether a high profile prospect like a Moses Itauma or Johnny Fisher decides his reputation is worth the risk of facing him or whether his reputation gets him a shot at one of the many fringe contenders clamoring for a high profile fight, Fury seems certain to enter the mix before too long.
However, he knows that it won’t happen if he can’t get past Thun.
“I’m looking forward to it. The heavyweight division is wide open and it’s a good division to be a part of at the minute,” he said at the pre-fight press conference. “First of all, I’ve got to get past my fight on Friday night and after that, whatever comes.”
The fight with Thun is the third of Fury’s comeback after a near three-year lay-off. For years, Fury fought with an energy sapping condition called acne conglobata which turned every training session into a battle and resulted in some lethargic performances. No sooner had he finally got to the root of that issue than he contracted long Covid and once again found himself drained of life and contemplating retirement.
Fury persisted and looks healthier and stronger than he has for some time. In April he eased his way back into action by outboxing trialhorse Kostiantyn Dovbyshchenko and followed that up by getting rid of the veteran Patrick Korte, who is flattered by his glossy 23-4-1 (18 KOs) record.
Fury has recognized a legitimate threat in the 6ft 9in tall Thun, who will see a victory over the Englishman as his own ticket to the big time.
“I’m excited. I’ve had two fights as warm ups and now this is it. A fight,” Fury said. “I’m over the moon. We’re two fighters, he’s a good opponent and we’re going to get in there and there’s going to be a fight. Trust me.
“The hard part is done, the training. This is the easy part for me. Enjoy the moment. I do not give two fucks who i’m in the ring with. At the end of the day, it’s a fight. Simple.”
John Evans has contributed to a number of well-known publications and websites for over a decade. You can follow John on X @John_Evans79