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Tyson Fury is the pinnacle of boxing – the grandeur of this Francis Ngannou fight proves it

Purses for both fighters reported to be in region of $30m for Fury and $10m for Ngannou

Tyson Fury and Francis Ngannou pose for a photo during the press conference
The Fury factor sees UFC fighter Francis Ngannou surpassing the biggest payday of his career Credit: Ahmed Yosri/Reuters

The enormity of this fight, the extravaganza following it and the grandeur it has created simply points to one thing – Tyson Fury is the pinnacle of boxing.

And whether boxing purists like it or not that the ‘Gypsy King’ is facing Francis Ngannou, the former UFC heavyweight champion from the sport of mixed martial arts, the Lancastrian boxer has become the biggest commercial draw in the sport.

Witness the arrival of Sugar Ray Leonard, Lennox Lewis and a group of the greats arriving here over the last 48 hours. Gala dinner of legends; a huge stadium built in 90 days. No stone unturned to make it a huge statement of intent.

Not to mention the prize money on offer. The purses for both fighters have not been revealed but are reported to be in the region of $30 million for Fury and $10 million for Ngannou.

The Fury factor sees the UFC fighter surpassing the biggest payday of his career, after earning an estimated $600,000 for his latest fight inside the Octagon, a victory against Frenchman Ciryl Gane.

As Fury quipped in an aside to one media outlet this week: “Why would a fighter turn down more money for an easier fight than less pay for a harder fight?” After this, harder fights will come, yet Fury’s purse does reflect his huge commercial value.

Victory in Riyadh on Saturday night and Fury will go on to face Oleksandr Usyk either in December or January – Dec 23 is the reported date – for boxing’s blue riband event, the undisputed heavyweight title in a new ‘fight of the century’. The heavyweight championship of the world was once dubbed ‘the richest prize in sport’ and we are back there again in a manner of speaking.

Fury, still undefeated, and now a showman as well as an extraordinary exponent of ring skills at 19st and 6ft 9ins tall, has already had a stellar summer outside the ring, achieving top billing for several weeks with the hit reality series on Netflix – ‘At Home With The Furys’ – which, filmed over a year, reveals his unusual life and struggles with mental health.

Tyson Fury has become a Netflix star with 'At Home With The Furys' Credit: Netflix

Add the influential backing of His Excellency Turki Alalshikh, a genuine, knowledgeable boxing aficionado, and the event here heralds a new era in the heavyweight division, opening the six-month Riyadh Season of sport, music, entertainment and music showcasing the country’s desire to embrace a new age.

“It is absolutely unbelievable to be out here in the great Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and to be top of the bill is even more special,” explained Fury this week. Frank Warren, Fury’s UK promoter, added to that, calling it “the start of something really big here and the catalyst, as I say, is Tyson. His Excellency has been phenomenal in what he’s done. His team has got behind this and made it extra, extra special.” Bob Arum, meanwhile, Fury’s US promoter, insisted that “long after many of us have gone, people will be talking about this event.”

Fury’s public workout earlier this week showed off his desire to use speed and movement to get his arms raised in a contest in which the Briton remains an overwhelming favourite. The only caveat for Ngannou is that his own narrative arc includes an inspirational journey of survival which has taken him out of Africa – where he began in privation, digging in a sand quarry as a young person – to the pinnacle of mixed martial arts.

Ngannou – ring nickname ‘The Predator’ – has become a hero to young kids with sporting dreams across the African continent. Here, Ngannou has a moment, a slight chance, of upending history.

Francis Ngannou has risen to the pinnacle of mixed martial arts Credit: Gregory Payan/AP

Dewey Cooper, Ngannou’s trainer, told me this week that his charge has adapted considerably in a 14-week training camp and ‘believes’ that he can create what would be the biggest upset in the history of heavyweight boxing, if, against the odds, his hand is raised in victory. Ngannou is huge, punches harder than any man on the planet, yet can he find the chin of Fury in his first professional boxing match? In MMA, Ngannou has knocked opponents out for fun.

The irony of Mike Tyson – whom Fury was named after – training Ngannou alongside Cooper has not been lost on the World Boxing Council heavyweight champion Fury, and indeed in conversation with Mike Tyson this week, when asked how he would have fought Fury in his own prime, Mike told me that he would have “stayed close on Fury, attacked the body, and punched upwards.”

Mike Tyson (right) has helped train Francis Ngannou Credit: Ahmed Yosri/Reuters

Ngannou, different in size and speed, and fighting art of course, would like to do exactly that, but it looks an improbable difficult task. Belief is taking him into the ring, as Ngannou sees the opportunity as “a manifestation, a dream come true”.

“The power is definitely real,” Mike Tyson said of Ngannou. But how – and whether – Ngannou can execute that remains the question. I suspect that Fury might take a look at Ngannou for a couple of rounds before using his telescopic jab and movement to unpick him, before looking for right hands to end the night around the fifth round. As Fury said: “Many will imitate, but not one will ever replicate. Because there’s only one Gypsy King.”

Fury, though, must back that up in this contest, and with the Usyk fight looming on the near horizon – back here in Saudi Arabia – the reigning WBC king will want to leave the ring unscathed on his march to reclaim the three belts he took eight years ago from Wladimir Klitschko at the genesis of his own incredible journey at the top of the sport.

Fury vs Ngannou is live on TNT Box Office on Saturday October 28.