Tyson Fury now bigger than Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder in US after scintillating Las Vegas debut, insists Frank Warren
TYSON FURY is a bigger star Stateside than Deontay Wilder or Anthony Joshua, his promoter Frank Warren claimed.
The Gypsy King, 30, smashed German Tom Schwarz in two rounds on June 15 performing in Las Vegas for the first time in his career.
Fury’s win came two weeks after his countrymen Anthony Joshua, 29, suffered a catastrophic US debut losing his unified titles to 25-1 outsider Andy Ruiz Jr.
The win in Sin City was the first bout in the Brit’s £80million Top Rank deal with US promoter Bob Arum planning on having Fury box twice in America before rematching Wilder.
Warren claims the decision to backdate the rematch was the correct one – and insisted his man is more popular across the pond than AJ and America’s own Wilder.
He said: “In the space of only a few weeks, Tyson has become one of the most recognisable sporting figures in the biggest market of them all.
“It’s fully vindicated our decision to generate huge exposure for the world’s No1 heavyweight before revisiting a proposed rematch with Deontay Wilder.
“That fight is simply getting bigger all the time. The magnitude of it will only increase further once Tyson and Deontay take to the ring again.
“It is a little bit ironic that Tyson just being himself – a bit of showbiz swagger, while all the time honest over his shortcomings and the subject of mental health – he has achieved in one weekend in Vegas what a carefully orchestrated campaign set out to do for Anthony Joshua in New York recently.
“The American public’s awareness of Tyson Fury is probably now even greater than that of Deontay Wilder.”
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Top Rank chief Arum recently revealed he is open to Fury facing Wilder in the Brit’s next fight, after such a successful showing in Vegas.
But a bout in New York on October 5 remains the more likely with the rematch against the Bronze Bomber taking place next year.
Meanwhile, Joshua looks set to rematch Ruiz, with promoter Eddie Hearn confirming it could take place between November 16 – December 14.