In this week’s mailbag, we tackle your thoughts on Tyson Fury potentially facing Fabio Wardley this year in lieu of a bout with Anthony Joshua; whether Fury wasted the best years of his career; why Vergil Ortiz is so focused on facing Jaron “Boots” Ennis rather than the titleholders at 154lbs; and a call for Joshua to take as much time off away from the sport as he needs.

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FABIO WARDLEY-TYSON FURY IS A REASONABLE PLAN B

I’m sure Tyson Fury would have preferred Anthony Joshua for the massive, massive stadium fight, but maybe Fabio Wardley is second best if the Joshua fight is off (“Tyson Fury open to challenging ‘big smoke’ Fabio Wardley later in 2026”). If Fury is serious about going for another Oleksandr Usyk fight, a belt would do the trick. 

-Smash

Tris Dixon’s response: It seems Wardley-Fury would be something of a win-win for all concerned. Wardley wants those big names, and Fury will want a rapid route back to the major titles. It’s also an interesting fight, given Fury’s absence and Wardley’s improvement. Add to the storyline that in his last fight, Wardley defeated a friend of Fury’s in Joseph Parker, and that they would have a fair chance of selling out a stadium, and they both work with promoter Frank Warren, it is almost too logical a fight.

VERGIL ORTIZ IS WASTING HIS TIME (AND OURS)

Bakhram Murtazaliev and Sebastian Fundora have the titles (“Vergil Ortiz Jnr wants the titles, not the fame”). Why won't Vergil Ortiz fight them instead of playing 14 months of circle jerk with Jaron “Boots” Ennis? 

-BlackRobb

Lucas Ketelle’s response: Vergil Ortiz is between a rock and a hard place – and that is an odd scenario for a fighter who has ambitions of title fights and leaving a legacy in the sport. 

He doesn’t hold an outright title. Ortiz’s chief rival is “Boots” Ennis. That’s who the fans want to see him fight. It would be a mega-fight, even if an outright world title isn’t on the line. 

Yet you bring up a good point about some great fights with the titleholders. 

Somehow, the IBF titleholder Murtazaliev didn’t fight in 2025, and his style against Ortiz’s could lead to a classic, or at the very least a great action fight. Fundora, the outright WBC titleholder, has reinvented himself in the last two years and is interesting against anyone. Ortiz holds the interim WBC title, so a consolidation of titles seems feasible.

It hits on a key point for Ortiz (and Ennis): People who love boxing and obsess over it just want to see the best fighters in great fights. It is obvious that every fighter mentioned above has some form of special traits. Now that they are in their prime, let’s see some matchups that could define a generation, as Ortiz should be a part of one of those. 

No matter what route Ortiz goes, someone won’t be happy, but hopefully he gets in the ring sooner rather than later. The frustration truly would set in if we don’t see Ortiz in the ring anytime soon. That would be the real shame. Ortiz against any world-class opponent is worth watching. 

TYSON FURY COULD HAVE BEEN EVEN GREATER

Tyson Fury really threw his best years away. The form he had in 2014 was something else. If he stayed consistent, he could have beaten Usyk. 

-BKM

Tris Dixon’s response: This is not the hottest take I’ve ever seen. It’s hard to disagree with what you say, but I’ll play devil’s advocate and say dealing with mental health issues is not akin to squandering away your best years. However, I am also not naive enough to know that plenty of people disagree with that viewpoint. 

Honestly, while we’ve had Fury and Joshua against Usyk twice, I can’t help but feel this era needed Joshua-Fury more, and even Wilder-Joshua more when it mattered. But, overall, it’s been solid. Staying consistent and being elite for 10 years does not come easy. I do fear now, though, that at Fury’s age and following what happened to Francis Ngannou and with the two losses to Usyk, that Tyson’s best days are behind him. 

AMANDA SERRANO DISAPPOINTED AGAINST REINA TELLEZ

Honestly kinda disappointing that a 118-pounder with two weeks’ notice went the distance with Serrano. 

-126Feather

Ryan Songalia’s response: There are a couple of things to keep in mind here. Serrano has fought at a lower weight in her career than Tellez, in 2019, when she won the WBO junior bantamweight title, and even posted a video the day before the Tellez weigh-in showing her eating fried chicken, so the suggestion that Tellez is naturally smaller requires some context.

Tellez, by contrast, had trouble melting down on short notice to 126lbs, which suggests that she walks around well above even the featherweight division.

On top of that, Serrano was making a big adjustment after training for Erika Cruz, a southpaw banger, to facing the more technical Tellez, a solid orthodox boxer who had won national titles as an amateur. There was little time for Serrano to adjust her training and sparring schedule to prepare for a completely different fighter.

Tellez, it turns out, is a pretty good boxer, if inexperienced at the top level of the sport, and I wouldn’t be surprised if she ends up winning a pro title sooner than later.

ANTHONY JOSHUA DESERVES AS MUCH TIME OFF AS HE NEEDS

It will likely take a long time before Joshua is in the mindset to want to box again, after the horrific accident where his friends died. His body might be fine, nothing badly damaged, but give the man time. What happened was terrible beyond words, and to process that, with a different perspective on life, it's rough. 

-Liondw

David Greisman’s response: The footage and photos of the crash were horrifying enough for those of us seeing the posts online. One can only imagine what it must have been like – and what it will continue to feel like – for Joshua to have survived while seeing two good friends dead in the vehicle with him. Their losses would have been huge for Joshua even if he weren’t there. The trauma will likely stay with Joshua for the rest of his life, and I hope he is able to get all of the support and treatment he needs.

Boxing can wait. Joshua should only return when he feels he’s ready. If he ever feels he’s ready. Yes, the fights he was due to have in 2026 were going to be massive paydays. Thankfully, Joshua has earned plenty over the course of his career and doesn’t have to step back in the ring ever again.

Everyone processes trauma differently. Buster Douglas fought Mike Tyson weeks after his mother passed away. Oscar De La Hoya won Olympic gold in tribute to his mother’s dying wish. It’s just as acceptable to step away and take all the time you need. You never truly heal from something like this. You just find a new normal and do your best to move forward, day by day, bit by bit.

Want to be featured in the mailbag? Comment or ask a question in the comments section below. Submissions may be edited for length and clarity. We also may select readers’ comments from other BoxingScene stories.