Tyson Fury will defend his WBC Heavyweight championship of the world against Derek Chisora at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London on Saturday. Should he win — as every so-called expert and fight fan expects him to — then he’ll undoubtedly be asked about his fistic plans for 2023.
While an undisputed heavyweight showdown with Oleksandr Usyk is a titanic clash, perhaps even more intriguing — especially in the eyes of British boxing fans and pundits alike — is the forever teased fight with Anthony Joshua.
Who would have won: Fury or AJ?
Let’s hope no one has to ask that question in 10 years' time. While the heavyweight division has a rich history of championship fights, some of which are timeless, there have been occasions when the stars did not align.
MORE: Tyson Fury thinks Derek Chisora can beat him
“The Gypsy King” vs. “AJ” has been close, but a variety of circumstances have kept these fighters apart like two magnets with the same poles. This has happened before in the flagship division and it’s never good news. Legacies can be affected, fans become disenchanted, and the sport gets a bad name.
Here are 10 heavyweight fights that will remain in the fantasy section for all time:
Top 10 heavyweight fights that never happened
Rocky Marciano vs. Floyd Patterson
When Marciano retired, in April 1956, Patterson and legendary light heavyweight champ Archie Moore were matched for the vacant heavyweight championship. The bout took place in Chicago, and Patterson prevailed via fifth-round knockout. Marciano pondered a comeback on more than one occasion, and the new champ’s name was obviously mentioned, but it was not to be. Patterson would go on to become boxing’s first two-time heavyweight champion.
Joe Frazier vs. Sonny Liston
Following his ignominious rematch defeat to Muhammad Ali, in May 1965, Liston was on the comeback trail. The former champ bounced back impressively with fourteen straight wins, thirteen of those coming by knockout. By the time Liston was ready for a title shot, Ali has in exile, and Frazier was the new heavyweight force. In December 1969, Liston was matched against Leotis Martin, and talk of a world title fight was getting louder. Unfortunately, Martin hadn’t read the script. The Arkansas-born heavyweight survived a fourth-round knockdown to put Liston out cold with a devastating combination in the ninth. Liston’s world title dream ended, and he died under mysterious circumstances one year later.
Joe Frazier vs. Ken Norton
This one was never a serious option. Frazier and Norton were close friends, and stablemates (when they both trained under Eddie Futch), plus the timing was never right. Norton was a novice when Frazier reached heavyweight supremacy, and by the time he was ready, “Smokin’” Joe was on the slide. It would have been interesting to see what would have happened had either man become champion in the mid-1970s. After all, there was only one championship to win. However, Ali was largely dominant during that period, so Frazier vs. Norton never transpired. Some footage of the pair sparring is available on YouTube.
MORE: Why Evander Holyfield calls first Mike Tyson fight his sweetest victory
George Foreman vs. Larry Holmes
In early 1977, George Foreman was still licking his wounds after losing his championship and unbeaten record to Muhammad Ali. However, he’d bounced back in style with five straight knockouts, including fifth-round stoppages of both Ron Lyle and Joe Frazier. His next fight came against Jimmy Young, a slick Philadelphia-based technician, who had given Ali a run for his money a year earlier. On the Foreman-Young undercard, a young 23-0 heavyweight scored named Larry Holmes scored a fifth-round knockout over Horace Robinson and was now eyeing big fights. It’s highly likely that Foreman and Holmes would have mixed had Young not out boxed “Big George” and sent him into a 10-year-retirement. Foreman and Holmes did come close to fighting as 40-somethings, but the matchup fell through.
Mike Tyson vs. George Foreman
George Foreman returned to action in 1987 as something of a sideshow. However, despite pushing 40 years old, the ex-champ made a big impression on a new generation of heavyweights and became an authentic contender. Tyson was the obvious target, but the closest Foreman ever got was sharing a Las Vegas card with him in June 1990. Foreman failed in world title attempts against Evander Holyfield and Tommy Morrison but struck gold when he knocked out Michael Moorer to become the oldest heavyweight champion in boxing history at 45.
Lennox Lewis vs. Riddick Bowe
A re-run of the 1988 Olympic super heavyweight final — which Lewis won via second-round stoppage — is perhaps the most famous of heavyweight history’s ones that got away. Undisputed champ Bowe literally dumped his WBC belt in a trashcan after refusing to accept the British star as a mandatory challenger. Lewis’ legendary rise ran in parallel with Bowe’s steady decline and the pair never got to meet as professionals.
Mike Tyson vs. Riddick Bowe
“The Battle for Brooklyn” would have been an absolutely colossal event, but it was doomed to failure. Tyson was imprisoned for rape in early 1992, just months prior to Bowe’s career-defining title win over Evander Holyfield. By the time Tyson was released, in March 1995, Bowe was an ex-champ and had squandered his skills. Tyson regained two world titles in 1996, whereas Bowe dropped from the world scene following a pair of bizarre DQ wins over Andrew Golota that same year.
Lennox Lewis vs. Vitali Klitschko 2
This is the only rematch on the list and it's certainly worthy of mention. The first fight came around through fate in June 2003. Lewis was scheduled to face American Kirk Johnson, but when the challenger pulled out due to injury, a replacement was sought. Vitali Klitschko, who was scheduled to fight in the undercard, jumped at the chance to vie for the championship at just three days’ notice. The challenger gave Lewis hell early but was cut badly by a punch in Round 3. The pair traded on even terms until Klitschko had to be pulled out at the end of the sixth. The Ukrainian star literally begged for a rematch, but Lewis made the rare – and smart – decision to get out as champion. He never returned.
MORE: Fury explains why beating Klitschko "was like a curse"
Lennox Lewis vs. Wladimir Klitschko
Again, this one came down to bad timing and, perhaps, politics. During the early 2000s, Wladimir Klitschko held the then-lightly regarded WBO heavyweight title at the same time as Lewis’ championship reign. At that time, the WBO was not recognized by the other governing bodies, so there wasn’t much in the way of demand. The Ukrainian star was just getting a foothold with U.S. audiences when he was shockingly upset by South African lefty Corrie Sanders in March 2003. By the time Klitschko got back to world title contention, Lewis was two years into retirement.
Tyson Fury vs. David Haye
Not once but twice, this non-title all-British superfight fell apart. “The Gypsy King” and “The Hayemaker” were set to do battle in 2013 and 2014, but injuries to the latter derailed this one forever. The 2013 date was cancelled when Haye reportedly suffered a cut in training, and the 2014 date fell through when doctors advised the Londoner to retire following shoulder surgery. Fury went from strength to strength and won the heavyweight championship twice. Haye, a former cruiserweight and heavyweight titleholder, disobeyed doctor's order and returned in 2016. He suffered back-to-back losses to former cruiserweight champ Tony Bellew before retiring for good.
