Colin Hart: Tyson Fury can earn another world title shot but fellow comeback star Amir Khan might join boxing’s long list of sad returns
SunSport columnist fears for both Brits - but says Fury might find his recent heavyweight-eating easier to overcome than Khan will find the memories of being KO'd by Canelo Alvarez
BOXING comebacks can be like little girls. When they are good they are very, very good. But when they are bad they are horrid.
This spring we see the return of Amir Khan and Tyson Fury, two of Britain’s most charismatic and controversial former world champions.
Both have been away for a couple of years spending their absence in contrasting ways.
Fury seems to have been occupying his time eating for England.
Khan, from what we have read, has been trying to put more notches on his bedpost than some of Hollywood’s more serious serial womanisers.
It is going to be fascinating finding out how the long lay-offs has affected them.
Fury who has resembled the Michelin-man in recent months has been working hard to remove the seven stone of excess blubber from his belly.
Though he makes it sound as if he is Weight-Watchers’ star client, I bet he will find it much harder to get down to fighting fitness than he makes out.
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He boasts he could regain his world titles tomorrow given the opportunity. But I’m sure he will find he will need a couple of warm-ups before he steps back into a major arena which is unlikely to be until next year.
I fear for Khan.
His priority will be as much mental as physical if he is to climb to previous heights.
Not many get over the kind of horrendous knockout he suffered when he went up two weight divisions against the might of Canelo Alvarez in his last fight.
Khan’s chin has always been suspect and it will be surprising if he isn’t more than a little gun-shy as a result of that devastating defeat.
Frank Sinatra made more comebacks than most and failing to hit the right note might have been embarrassing but less dangerous than finding out your reflexes and timing have gone when he eventually faces a top 10 opponent.
The greatest ring return of all-time belongs to George Foreman.
Thirty years ago along with several American boxing writers I was having dinner with George in a Las Vegas restaurant when out of the blue he announced he was going to make a comeback.
He was 38 and hadn’t fought for TEN YEARS. That’s when I made one of my worst predictions. I told him “George, you are deluding yourself.”
Seven years later I was at the Las Vegas ringside to see Foreman KO Michael Moorer to win the IBF and WBO world heavyweight titles.
Sugar Ray Leonard ran him close in the incredulity stakes when in the second of his four comebacks he stepped through the ropes after three years away to sensationally outpoint Marvin Hagler to become undisputed world middleweight champion.
And there was Muhammad Ali following a three year exile regaining his title by knocking out George Foreman in the Rumble in the Jungle.
But there is nothing worse than watching a once great fighter desperately trying to relive his past and failing miserably. Unfortunately, there have been more sad endings in that department than triumphs.
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Who can forget the pitiful sight of Ricky Hatton coming out of retirement and kneeling on the canvas, his face contorted in agony after Vyacheslav Senchenko knocked him out with a shot to his flabby body.
Or Ken Buchanan, who topped the bill at New York’s Madison Square Garden on several occasions, losing his last four fights in a vain attempt to rekindle his glory days.
I’m pretty sure Fury will fight for the world title again.
But as for Khan, who has tried his hand at Reality TV somewhere down the road, I can hear him shout “I’m a Boxing Celebrity - Get Me Out of Here.”
