Boxing
Tyson Fury calls on Makhmudov to conclude a business deal
There’s no bad blood, no mounting tension, and no attempt to sell it as something bigger. Fury made that clear when describing his experience on Saturday night.
“There is no rivalry between me and Arslanbek. There is no animosity. There is nothing. It was never a rivalry,” Tyson Fury told Queensberry about why he is fighting Makhmudov. “Strictly business.”
The “it’s just business” line is the best shield in boxing. When a fighter uses this phrase, he or she is essentially trying to remove the burden of entertainment value from the conversation.
Looking at it this way, Fury is trying to sidestep some specific criticisms and pressures. By calling it a “trade” he signals that he is in it for the paycheck and the activity.
It serves as a subtle defense against soft-touch storytelling. It’s his way of saying, “I know you wanted a blockbuster, but this deal was on the table and I’m here to complete it.”
“It’s just a business transaction,” Fury said.
Whether or not this is a inexpensive excuse depends on how you currently view the heavyweight landscape. Fans who feel that Fury is “avoiding” certain opponents or causing the division to stagnate will likely see this as a way to tune out the fight.
“There’s no need to call bullshit on someone who isn’t very good at English and who can’t answer,” Fury said. “All this requires a dance partner, and Arslanbek is not that kind of person.”
If former heavyweight king Fury were to shout at and belittle a man who barely speaks the language but is clearly the “B-side” of the promotion, it would look less like a promotion and more like a punch. Fury knows that bullshit requires a certain type of opponent to work. Without it he just looks mean.
“It doesn’t change. It’s just business as usual,” Fury said. “Any man that comes there to fight me tonight is a challenge,” Fury said. “I have to treat everyone exactly the same.”
For Fury, it’s a career-boosting mission. By calling it “business as usual,” he tries to create an air of control, but the numbers tell a much more desperate story.
At 37 years senior, turning 38 this year and ending a 16-month hiatus, Fury returns to the ring with a record that has deteriorated. If Makhmudov causes chaos at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday night, the ‘Gypsy King’ era will officially come to an end with a whimper.
Technically, a defeat would be his third in a row after losses to Usyk in 2024. Considering Ngannou’s performance, which many fans considered a moral failure, he hasn’t looked like a world-class operator since the beginning of 2023.
Fury has always carried extra weight, but in the second fight with Usyk he looked tired and lacked the elite footwork that once allowed him to dance around giants.
The only reason this fight is on Netflix is to get a payday with Anthony Joshua. Losing to an opponent ranked 15th completely destroys this advantage.
By calling it “business as usual” and claiming he treats everyone the same, Fury tries to sound professional, but it could easily be read as denial.
There’s something sorrowful about a former undisputed tier champion fighting a “B-side” on a streaming platform just to prove he still belongs in that organization. If he fights Makhmudov, a fighter Fury himself described as “clunky” and “ponderous,” it won’t matter whether he wins or loses. The “company” will be viewed as bankrupt.
Fury tries to avoid the desperation narrative by acting like he’s just taking turns. But when an athlete with a father’s body and a losing streak starts talking about “business,” it usually means that the fire in the sport has been replaced by the need for control.
He also claimed that future options are already planned for Tim Tszyu and Errol Spence Jr.
“We are talking to Tim Tszyu and Errol Spence. All three have agreed to fight me.”
This is an ambitious statement from a fighter who has not competed since his defeat to Canelo Alvarez in 2023. Charlo turns 36 on May 19, and many fans believe the long break should mean tuning in or fighting a challenger first rather than immediately fighting for the champion. Charlo, however, made it clear that he still sees himself as the best man in the division.
The problem is that Jermell is essentially trying to cash his 2022 check in a completely different economy. PPV prices on PBC have increased to over $75, and asking fans to pay that for a guy who hasn’t won a fight since May 2022 is tough. This is a financial risk for promoters.
Jermell is used to unquestioned ‘money. If he’s asking for a huge guaranteed amount to fight Fundora or Ennis, the math just doesn’t work for the promoter unless the bid is above $150 or $200,000.
In boxing, three years is an eternity. Since Jermell stayed noiseless, we’ve seen the rise of Xander Zayas and the emergence of “Boots” Ennis at 154.
“I told you I was coming back. I told you I wanted my stripes,” Charlo said. “Nobody beat me by the belt.”
Promoters aren’t calling because Jermell’s confidence is currently low. If the promoter puts him in the main event and he looks like the version of himself that did or didn’t show up in the Canelo Alvarez match, the event is a disaster. Financially, it could still be a disaster.
Jermell wants the reward of a champion without the upgrade tax that every other veteran has to pay after a long layoff. With 2026 filled with newborn, hungry and busy talent, thinking that you can simply move to the front of the queue because of what you did four years ago is definitely a bold choice.
If Jermell had just gone for it and beaten some of the top 154 fighters like Israil Madrimov, Bakhram Murtazaliev and Brandon Adams, it wouldn’t have been much of a problem.
Terence Crawford left boxing undefeated with little to prove, and yet Mauricio Sulaimán reignited an senior feud, describing the former champion’s retirement as “cowardly” in an interview this week.
“Fight in September for the world title. He has many options: Benavidez, Charlo, a rematch with Crawford, who cowardly retired, Bivol and Beterbiev. He is in a position where he can choose,” WBC president Sulaiman told Tiempo Extra.
This seems like a more personal than professional paperwork dispute. Sulaimán’s “cowardly” comment is clearly payback for the bridge Crawford burned on his way out.
When Crawford defeated Canelo in September 2025, he effectively retired as “King of the Hill” and then told the Neighborhood Association (WBC) that their membership dues were a scam.
During his Instagram Live tirade, Crawford refused to pay and devalued the entire existence of the WBC. Calling the eminent green belt a “trophy” that “doesn’t mean shit” is a direct attack on Sulaimán’s legacy and the prestige he strives to maintain for the WBC.
The WBC says it lowered its usual 3% commission to 0.6% ($300,000) to be “fair” and Crawford still hasn’t moved on it. By paying the other three organizations (WBA, IBF, WBO) but freezing the WBC, Crawford singled them out as the only organization he felt was not worth his money.
Crawford clearly stated that The Ring belt is a “real belt” because it is free. This is a nightmare for sanctioning bodies because it encourages other stars to realize that they don’t actually need pricey “alphabet” titles from sanctioning bodies to be considered the best.
Calling a 42-0 fighter who has just been promoted and trained by Canelo a “coward” is objectively absurd in a boxing sense. However, in Sulaimán’s language, “cowardly” likely refers to Crawford’s refusal to “stand and fight” in the boardroom.
By retiring, Crawford prevented the WBC from receiving the $300,000 he already owed them for the belt. Additionally, his retirement meant future billing for the massive Crawford vs. Benavidez or Crawford vs. Bivol.
It also prevented the WBC from formally stripping him as a punishment while he was still energetic.
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Last updated: 23/04/2026 at 12:28
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