The Fury versus Chisora Hamburger Exhibition in Tottenham
Editorial By Robert Brizel, Head Real Combat Media Boxing Correspondent
After witnessing Tyson Fury dismantling of challenger Dereck Chisora by tenth round stoppage on Saturday night, December 3, 2022, in defense of his lineal and World Boxing Council World heavyweight title, the Top Rank, ESPN+ and BT Sport televised pay-per-view Tottenham Hotspur stadium outdoor December spectacle with sixty thousand live spectators needs to be understood in its correct context.
The context of the ten-round mismatch, the third trilogy bout between Fury and Chisora, needs to be put in context for it was, still is, and what its professional sports meaning truly represents. The actual interpretation of what transpired is very different than what the boxing and sports public think, and how media and social media interpret and portrayed the overhyped bout to be.
Aside from the prefight hype and publicity, what the televised Tyson Fury versus Dereck Chisora turned out to be was nothing more than an over glorified ‘Hamburger Exhibition’. This was proven when, after the bout was over, Tyson Fury headed into his friend Dereck Chisora’s dressing room with his children so both families could celebrate their mutual mega payday. Fury and Chisora did this while both eating hamburgers or cheeseburgers, without a care in the world about who was filming or taking pictures.
Going back to Larry Holmes versus Muhammad Ali in 1980, that charade lasted ten rounds of televised pathetic shameful torture before Ali’s corner stopped it. Dr. Ferdie Pacheco presented medical evidence indicating Ali should have been retired in 1977, and left the corner when he was ignored. Earlier that year, Ali made 250 thousand dollars, Holmes 100 thousand dollars in forfeit money when the bout was cancelled. Holmes fought and stopped Scott LeDoux instead. Holmes got eight million dollars, Ali 4.9 million dollars for their actual lopsided bout. In 1982, Ali sued Don King from his hospital bed for the 1.1 million he was shorted on the purse, but ultimately settled out of court for 50 thousand dollars over the discrepancy.
Total Sportal claims Fury is due $15 million guaranteed plus 70 percent of the Pay-Per-View revenue share, which could add up to 50 million dollars. Chisora will receive four million dollars guaranteed, plus thirty percent of the Pay-Per-View share, which would add up to eight million dollars. Sports Zion claims Fury will receive twenty-four million in base salary and could earn up to $36.5 million total with Pay-Per-View bonuses, while Chisora is due $4.5 million and could finish with up to seven million with Pay-Per-View bonuses. Fury and Chisora, unlike Holmes and Ali, honored the originally scheduled date, and have contracts which will be honored in both directions. Whatever the final tally, both combatants are the true winners at the bank.
When Fury and Chisora both fought the first time in 2011, both fighters were 14-0. What a difference 12 years makes. What Fury’s corner did was find an opponent they were sure to beat, and sure to cash in on, who offered no threat to Fury, and Fury’s so-called reversal of retirement because he had nothing else to do. Fury is hungering for three more big-money fights in 2023, Oleksandr Usyk (the WBA-WBO-IBF and IBO champion), Joe Joyce, Anthony Joshua, and Deontay Wilder (which would be a record fourth meeting between the same combatants for a share of the world heavyweight title).
The hamburger symbolizes the lack of seriousness of Fury versus Chisora III, and the fact the hamburger qualifies the farce as a hamburger exhibition. Because, when it is all said and done, it really does not matter how many hamburgers both Fury and Chisora ate either before or after this bout. Truth be told, neither fighter could have cared, because whether they ate as many hamburgers as they liked or not, either separately or together, their weights were irrelevant to the match. Even worse than Muhammad Ali versus Lyle Alzado, or Mike Tyson versus Roy Jones Jr., you might as well have brought your bag or hamburgers or cheeseburgers with you if you were outside in the subfreezing temperatures of Tottenham to watch this hamburger exhibition. Ketchup or not, pickles or not, onions or not, what Fury calls entertainment Fury versus Chisora most certainly was not.
The only distinction Fury versus Chisora had from a real exhibition was neither Fury nor Chisora wore headgear. True, Chisora threw a few and landed powerless jabs in round one, which Fury spotted Chisora to see what he had, if anything, to offer in the match, which was worse than Jack Johnson versus James Jeffries (from which Jeffries wanted to back out of, because after losing the weight, he discovered he was washed up in training camp, and Johnson agreed with him. Promoter Tex Rickard threatened to sue both Johnson and Jeffries if the bout did not take place, as he had invested too much money building the outdoor stadium for the first bout between two undefeated heavyweight champions. Johnson and Jeffries relented, perhaps Johnson more so out of compassion because Jeffries was flat broke, after his alfalfa farm failed, and desperately needed the money).
The next time I go to McDonald’s, Burger King, Wendy’s, or White Castle, or whenever I eat a hamburger or a cheeseburger, I will not think of Tyson Fury and Dereck Chisora, but not Big George Foreman. This is because when we think of George Foreman, we think of the George Foreman grill. The Fury versus Chisora trilogy was fast and furious, just like fast food. The only question I have left is whether Chisora’s and Fury’s hamburgers had lettuce and tomato, and whether they ate their hamburgers on a plain or a sesame seed bun. The ten round trilogy sham between Fury and Chisora put fans in their seats, and sold the Pay-Per-View well, but it is not hard to realize why Oleksandr Usyk, with big eyes, was not upended by anything Fury said or did in the ring.
“Usyk, you are next you little b****!” said Fury at ringside after stopping Chisora. “Where’s the rabbit, Oleksandr Usyk? What you going to do? You going to do something? You are getting it you little p****. I am not a bodybuilder, you sucker! I am going to do you as well, gappy teeth. You ugly little man! Let’s get it on! You may laugh, but I will end it now.”
Usyk responded by laughing. Undoubtedly, Usyk genuinely feels he can make a better accounting of himself than Chisora, and Usyk is too disciplined a superior world champion to eat hamburgers. Mercifully, the hamburger exhibition has been put to rest. Hopefully, Chisora, age 38, after upsetting an aging 41-year-old faded Kubrat Pulev by 12 rounds split decision, will call it a day, and stick to family and eating hamburgers in retirement. Much like Andy Ruiz Jr., who ballooned up to 283 ½ pounds in unnecessarily losing his world championship rematch with Anthony Joshua in Saudi Arabia in 2019a, eating hamburgers is no way to defend or try to win a world heavyweight title, nor gain respect.
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