At what point did Fury even break a sweat? Of course they hit each other. Even WWE guys sweat and hurt each other. I'm not saying the entire thing was a work from start to finish. It was a sparring match that Fury was never going to lose, but they were going to spice up. If Fury wins and isn't knocked down, nobody talks about this fight or cares. Something interesting had to happen. Take that knockdown out and nobody outside of us combat sport dorks gives a shit.
You will never convince me that this wasn't a fix or a friendly agreement. In no way, shape or form does someone who picked up gloves a decade ago beat the heavyweight champion of the world, even in a sparring match. If we had Gordon Ryan grapple Francis, or Gable Stevenson, and Francis suplexed one of them or hit a heel hook on one you'd all be crying foul and fix. But because it's boxing you guys think it may have been possible. That's crazy.
In my opinion anyway, consider this: Dozens of millions of dollars exchanged hands tonight and now it'll happen again because the rematch has an interesting storyline. If Francis knocked him out? Not interesting (for rematch purposes). Only serves Francis and increases his value, decreases Fury's profile and starpower. If Fury knocked him out? Not interesting. Only serves Fury and diminishes Francis. If Francis looked good, though, but lost and maybe even controversially... that serves both of them. Francis profile and starpower gets bigger. The upcoming fight for Fury gets more interesting because now there's more intrigue on whether or not he'll lose his next true boxing match. Has he lost his step?? Now, why not make dozens of millions more on the rematch with Francis? Even if Francis loses in PFL and Fury loses his title in his next bout (let's say that doesn't happen) they still have this rematch for eight figures a piece in their back pocket. Francis losing a controversial split decision while looking good or getting a split draw is the only thing that increases the intrigue in both fighters' next competitions AND their potential rematch. That is the only outcome that serves both men equally. What's better than faking people into paying you once? Getting the money twice.
They actually did better than Floyd/Conor. They made a rematch not only possible, but interesting, buyable and exciting. And they're fooling absolutely everyone.
In comparison to the heavyweight champion and top 15 heavyweight boxer of all time? Uh, yeah. He's closer to that than he is Fury.
I'm not infallible, but read my above analysis of the outcome.
Then, watch Fury's last 2 fights. Hell, put it on 1.5x or 2.x speed if you haven't seen them already.
Then...watch him fight Francis today. Look at Francis breathing out his mouth for 8 rounds while Fury doesn't even break a sweat. Watch him look backwards as he fell down. Watch him fight the 10th round as if he already won the fight. Watch him shoot a double leg on Francis. Watch Francis hook up a guillotine. Watch Francis throw a superman punch. Tell me all of this theater is just good old entertaining heavyweights having a slobberknocker of a fight right before they both go fight championship fights in their respective sports.
If that's the conclusion you come to, all right. But I watched that god damn fight and it looked like a gold glove boxer sparring an up and comer and letting him work.
