EXCLUSIVE
I boxed Oleksandr Usyk and got ‘robbed’ against Tyson Fury – now I am the forgotten man in the heavyweight division
Michael Hunter is the forgotten man in the heavyweight division.
The 35-year-old has fought just once in 27 months and hasn't competed in a televised bout since December 2021.
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That night, he drew with serial upsetter Jerry Forrest at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York.
It was an uncharacteristic display from Hunter who, at the time, was ranked No.8 in the world's top heavyweights by Ring Magazine.
At one point, Hunter looked like a sure-fire success in the division.
Before moving up to heavyweight, he gave a good account of himself when he faced Oleksandr Usyk in 2017 for the Ukrainian's WBO cruiserweight world title.
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He ultimately lost the fight via unanimous decision but there were clear signs of a promising future ahead.
A win over surging contender Martin Bakole a year later saw him sore up the heavyweight rankings before 'The Bounty Hunter' was matched against Alexander Povetkin on the Anthony Joshua vs Andy Ruiz rematch undercard.
Many felt Hunter did enough to get his hand raised against the Russian, but the fight was declared a draw.
If Hunter had been given the nod in Saudi Arabia then very different opportunities would have lay ahead.
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Instead, a couple of wins against domestic-level opposition followed before that fateful night against Forrest.
The dismal showing against 'The Slugger' saw Hunter's stock fall significantly and the subsequent collapse of a WBA eliminator bout with Hughie Fury meant the American puncher was unable to rebound from the setback.
Now, he finds himself in boxing limbo.
"I was supposed to be fighting for Sky Sports but they couldn't really get me a fight," Hunter told marvelbet369.com.
"I've had the same problem my whole career, nobody really wants to fight me and it costs to get me a fight.
"That's why a lot of people are saying that I'm high risk, low reward.
"But the reality of it is, I'm a higher risk than my reward period. You could still get a million dollars fighting me, but would you get another one after?
"So I think it is the risk and the way I fight, the type of style that I have. I'm kind of like an Usyk type of fighter.
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"I'm not a big heavyweight, but I am somebody that's going to drown you. The only difference between me and Usyk is I think I can punch a little harder. I'm a little bit more aggressive.
"Heavyweights want to get knocked out and wake up and say, 'Hey, man, I got caught with a good punch'.
"They don't want to be drowned and be looking at their coach telling them to throw them a life raft.
"So I think that's been my issue. But I've got a couple of exciting things in the works. I should be fighting here soon."
All hope is not lost for Hunter just yet. The former world title challenger has already started rebuilding his career away from the bright lights in Mexico.
In September, he stopped journeyman Miguel Cubos inside two rounds and now he is scheduled to face Ignacio Esparza (23-3) on March 23 in Guadalajara.
The Esparza fight is a step in the right direction as Hunter attempts to claw his way back to the top of the glamour division.
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But it is surely a far cry away from where he imagined he would be in his mid-thirties.
In his youth, Hunter was regarded as one of the best heavyweight amateurs in the United States (202lb in the unpaid ranks).
He won bronze at the World Junior Championships and represented his country at the 2012 Olympic Games.
Shortly before jetting off to London, Hunter fought lineal heavyweight champion Tyson Fury and claims he 'beat up' the Brit despite the result going the other way.
"It was an England vs. USA duel," Hunter added. "I fought over there in England.
"We were supposed to fight twice. I beat him up the first time and, our whole team actually beat up on Team England that day.
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"I fought my little heart out and obviously, they didn't give it to me because he was standing up on his feet.
"But, you know, he didn't show up for the next fight, he did the same thing that Hughie Fury did."
The next couple of years will be critical in shaping how Hunter is remembered as a fighter.
Looking to the future, he has his eyes firmly set on world titles.
"I'm going to definitely get this world title and I'm going to fend a few people off and showcase my skills and display the artwork that I've been crafting up for so long and then hopefully I'll say so long while I'm still on top," Hunter continued.
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"Obviously that's the way the champions want to go out so you know, I haven't really taken many big Ls or been beat up bad so I'm ready to rock.
"I'm excited. I think that I'm definitely going to be pushing on this year so we're gonna set a big tone this year to see what's going to happen in the near future."
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