Huge opponent up next for Fury

Hughie Fury [20(10)-0] will face probably the toughest test of the career on his cousin Tyson’s World heavyweight undercard – believed to be at the Manchester Arena on October 29th.

WBA, WBC, and Lineal heavyweight king Tyson defends his titles for the first time in a rematch against Ukrainian Wladimir Klitschko next month, while Hughie will have a huge fight of his own against Andy Ruiz [28(19)-0].

The clash with the big-punching Mexican-American will be a WBO final eliminator – although, should he win, the likelihood of Hughie and Tyson fighting is slim. What is more probable is that a win for the IBF-rated #13 Fury over the organisation’s #5, Ruiz, will help strengthen his claim for a shot at IBF champ Anthony Joshua.

Ruiz may even bolster his IBF rating next weekend when he defends his NABF heavyweight title in California against Franklin Lawrence. The bout with 21 year old Fury is assumedly based on Ruiz’s success in next week’s fight.

‘The Destroyer’ Ruiz is a heavy puncher and possesses a solid skillset, however he has regularly been criticised for his conditioning, tipping the scales at around 250lbs despite only being 6’2″. Eddie Hearn earlier this year cited his rotund appearance as one of the reasons he was not chosen as an opponent for Joshua’s first World title defence.

Regardless, it is another solid opponent for Fury following on from his career-best win over Fred Kassi, and straight after taking a short break from boxing to treat his severe acne conglobata.

Promoter Frank Warren described the fight as being “a big step up for him at such a young age but one he can certainly win.”