Wrestling has a long synergy with the world of boxing. Hulk Hogan, you may recall, played Thunderlips in Rocky III, while Mr T also trod a path from Clubber Land in the boxing movie franchise to both the WWE and WCW – earning, somewhat incredulously, a place in the former's hall of fame back in 2014.
Then there was 'Brawl for All', later credited as one of Vince Russo's more disastrous ideas, the star turn of Mike Tyson at WrestleMania 14 and pound-for-pound superstar Floyd Mayweather breaking the Big Show's nose (literally) and defeating him in the middle of the ring at the Showcase of the Immortals a decade later.
One of the more recent cameos from the boxing world was that of Tyson Fury, who tangled with Braun Strowman at Crown Jewel back in October 2019. The Gypsy King defeated the Monster Among Men by count-out, earning a reported £12 million for his eight-minute and four-second effort.
Interestingly, Fury has not ruled out a return to the WWE. He will have a business to take care of this year in his day job, with a fight against Dillian Whyte for the heavyweight king's gold a possibility. Fury has been made a 1/7 favourite in the boxing betting odds for that clash, and would surely start as the likely victor in a unification bout with Oleksandr Usyk that could take place in the summer, and is a scrap that most would predict the 33-year-old would fulfill his dream of becoming the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world.
But other than that, the Gypsy King has eyes on a WWE return, revealing on social media that the 'Saudi Arabian King is coming back' – a nod to the Middle Eastern country where Crown Jewel took place.
Tyson Fury's WWE debut! 💥🥊
— Sky Sports (@SkySports) October 31, 2019
Watch the best bits from his clash at Crown Jewel with Braun Strowman and read our full report here: https://t.co/cOt8Q7I7hH pic.twitter.com/Eld4oW9gQr
His wife, Paris, has confirmed that Fury is a massive wrestling fan, and has been in touch with Vince McMahon about a possible return to the squared circle.
We know that Vinny Mac likes two types of matches for big men – pitting them against another monster, or instead opting for a 'David vs Goliath' style match-up. With that in mind, here are five possible opponents for Fury's WWE return.
Brock Lesnar
It would be unusual if the boxing champ was elevated to main event status in the WWE straight off the bat, but Fury has that 'box office' style about him and a clash with Brock Lesnar would surely get plenty of PPV buys.
The former UFC champ is likely to be wearing the WWE championship belt until WrestleMania at the earliest, and so any bout would have to take place after April or – as is less likely – see Fury ascend to number one contender for Lesnar's strap.
Roman Reigns
If McMahon persists with Roman Reigns as a heel, and the hope is that he retains faith in the career revitalising turn of his biggest star, Fury could act as a face opponent – probably as a one-off contest at a PPV.
While not a household name in the United States, the Gypsy King has enough of standing to carry the weight of the WWE universe on his shoulders, and as a proven entertainer on the mic he could stand up to the rigours of the big fight hype.
Big E
The alternative, of course, is that Fury comes into the WWE as a heel character, which is essentially what he portrayed in his grudge with Strowman.
Shake off that beverage-induced fatigue, fire up your @peacockTV, and watch me retain my WWE Championship at #WWEDay1! pic.twitter.com/fhhPS2KBkJ
— Ettore "Big E" Ewen (@WWEBigE) January 1, 2022
Big E would provide a fitting opponent, and his extraordinary strength and size would be the perfect foil for the 6ft 9in Fury.
AJ Styles
To get a credible wrestling match out of Fury, you're probably going to need to pair him with a master of their craft. Step forward AJ Styles, who was wasted for much of 2021 as a non-entity tag team performer – a shameful waste of the veteran's talents. A feud with Fury might just rekindle Styles as the main event player.
Riddle
If nothing else, the mic duels between the pair would be thoroughly entertaining. Satisfying the David vs Goliath narrative, Riddle could more than hold his own with Fury in the striking stakes, and this is a contest many would love to see.
If Fury does return to the WWE, as rumoured, who would you like to see him take on?
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