Is Tyson Fury the Best Heavyweight in the UK?
May 27th, 2009
By Nate Anderson: No disrespect meant towards newcomer heavyweight David Haye, but I’m beginning to think that unbeaten prospect Tyson Fury (6-0, 6 KOs) might be the best heavyweight in all of the UK. I realize that the 20-year-old Fury hasn’t really beaten anyone of note other than Lee Swaby, Matthew Ellis and a handful of other low quality fighters. However, it’s the manner that Fury is dispatching them, the ease that he’s taking them out that is so impressive and what makes me feel that Fury could be the best there is.
Even though Fury has fought only six times, his promoter is already moving him ahead for bigger and better things at a steady pace, and looking at British heavyweight champion Danny Williams as a potential opponent at some point in the near future.
To be honest, there’s really not a whole heck of a lot of competition standing in the way of Fury being the best of the heavyweights in the UK. Below, I’ve listed who I personally feel are the best of the current heavyweights in the UK:
David Haye: as of now, Haye (22-1, 21 KOs) is the heavyweight that is considered to be the best in the UK despite his lack of experience fighting legitimate competition. However, I think Haye isn’t near as good as many people think he is. Since moving up to heavyweight, the 215 pound Haye looks much slower than he was as a cruiserweight and didn’t look all that impressive in his 5th round TKO win over Monte Barrett in November 2008.
The punches that Haye dropped Barrett with didn’t look all that big and it seemed that Barrett looked scared and wasn’t right for the fight. However, I surprised at how easy it was for the 6’3” Barrett to land his shots against Haye, because it seemed effortless.
Haye looked smaller than Barrett, who is a medium sized heavyweight. I think Haye would have a tough time landing anything against the 6’9” Fury, but even if he did, I doubt that it would hurt Fury. The opportunities for Haye to land would be much less than for Fury, because of Haye’s smaller size.
This would mean that Haye would have a lot of pressure to try and take Fury out with the few opportunities that he has before Fury starts landing his own big shots. It would be a race against time for Haye, who has a poor chin and will likely fold at some early on when he’s hit by something bit from Fury.
The main thing here is that I can see Fury taking Haye’s shots for 12 rounds, but I can’t see Hay being able to take Fury’s punches for long without folding.
Danny Williams: at one time in his career Williams was a great puncher capable of knocking most opponents with his big shots. What made Williams so good was that he could throw sustained combinations for close to one minute before tiring out. However, by then many of his opponents would be mowed down by his big shots.
Now, though, Williams, 35, is unable to throw combinations like that anymore and has become a punch and grab fighter. Williams needs frequent rest periods so that he can regroup his energy. This obviously wouldn’t work against Fury, who would stay on the outside in the same way that Vitali Klitschko did in his win over Williams and jab him from the outside. Although Williams has a great jab of his own, it would come up short on the taller Fury.
Derek Chisora: He’s got some talent and decent power. However, what makes me think that Chisora would be beaten by Fury is that Chisora fights lazy a lot of the time and seems to push his right hand rather than throwing it with conviction. Chisora is kind of fat and his best weapon his jab. Unfortunately, you need more than a jab to beat a fighter like Fury. I see Chisora taking a beating by Fury and perhaps getting knocked out.
Sam Sexton: Sam doesn’t have the stamina nor the chin to beat a fighter like Fury. Sexton would be jabbing and moving in the early rounds, but I see Fury picking him off as he moves around the ring and easily piling up a lead. By the 8th round, Sexton will be a spent force and will be a sitting duck for Fury’s big right hand and left hook.
Martin Rogan: This would be an interesting fight for three to four rounds, but eventually I think Fury would be too big and too powerful for Rogan to compete with. Rogan is 38, and only 6’2”. He’d been giving away seven inches in height to Fury. Now that may not sound like a lot to some people, but it would be a lot in this case because Rogan doesn’t use his jab much and tends to get nailed by his opponent’s jabs. I see Fury staying on the outside and teeing off on Rogan until he knocks him out.
David Price: The 2008 Bronze Medalist for Britain has a chin that looks like it’s not made for the professional ranks. Price was beaten in the Olympics where he was hurt twice in his bouts. In the pros, it’s going to be much worse because of Price’s inability to absorb big shots. I see Fury breaking Price down and taking him out with a big right hand to the head.
Tags: Boxing ,Danny Williams, David Haye, David Price, Derek Chisora, Martin Rogan, Sam Sexton, Tyson Fury25 Responses to “Is Tyson Fury the Best Heavyweight in the UK?”
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no what a fake
I’ve been following his every fight and I can say he’s the real package to dominate in the future but what he needs right now are opponents who wont buckle by just 2 punches. I think it would be better for him to relocate to the USA. There’s no doubt in the UK for his size and speed no one will dare challenge him. Even the mention of his name opponent will cower in fear.
Oi TKO , English birds rock
Being the best Heavyweight fighter in England is like being the hottest looking chick in England, you’re not that good…
fury is a very promising talent.fast hands some power and a will to get the job done but that chin is high in the air and ready for a skilled uppercut to get through sometime soon in his carrer
In the imposing figuire of Tyson Fury, we have a boxer who could geniunely become a force, not only nationally or continent-wide, but on the world stage as a whole. I will, however play Devil’s Advocate here, and throw a few asides into what will develop into a fine debate to roll on for quite some time.
Firstly, we need to keep a good check on reality. Tyson is still only 20 years old, a baby even in amateur terms, and nowhere near his full-grown physical size and more importantly strength. To fall into the oft-walked track of pushing him too far too soon could capitulate a highly promising future.
He is doing the right thing by getting quality European sparring (how it must smart the american hotbeds of philly, new york and the like that they are now so starved of good ‘big uns’….) but after watching him closely in the six fights up to press, he is crying out for the higher level of training to run in conjunction with the sparring. I realise he holds family ties and loyalties close, but for Tyson to really impact on the world scene he needs a man in the corner to glean the extraskills, nous and wisdom which, unfortunately, seems slightly lacking to press. He has a nasty habit of adopting the ‘startled rabbit’ expression when big leather gets launched, an issue that will be cruelly exposed by the eastern european fighters, who feast on such flaws. I’d throw in the mix, from these shores, trying to tie up with Robert McCracken, who loves to get his guys working behind a strong leading jab, or looking at the potential of the man, try to get Manny Steward or, and here ,I think, in a future “Hall of Fame” coach, Michael Moorer (who deserves a lot more praise for the work he does in the Wildcard). These trainers would hone in on the weaknesses and get the best out of his not inconsiderable talents, whilst holding the plans A , B , and C should they be neede, back with the wash and the stool.
And finally, lets temper our enthusiasm with a modicum of realism. Its too early for the britich title. Im not saying he couldnt or wouldnt win it, as I believe he would, nut once you break those levels there can be no going back, and for the sake of british fight fans i wouldnt like to see him at top european level for a good 18 months or so.
All these points aside, he i think is our only genuine contender since Lewis strode the top table of the scene. Hes a real gift, lets treasure him.
I would like to see him against John McDermott. Against Williams he looked durable so Fury might get some rounds under his belt and could be compared to the current British champion…
Fury is not the best heavyweight in the uk obviously haye is. You should get inthe ring with haye, he is still very fast and he hits very very hard. Chisora would beat fury easily too hes going t be a star aswell. williams is past it.
Fury is only just starting out against poor opposition but he is a good prospect. Hes much better than any american heavyweight out there!
Tyson Fury is an exciting British heavyweight prospect. He is not quite the best heavyweight in Britain as of right now but on his raw talent alone he would be competitive against any of his more experienced British rivals. If the trend for fighting regularly continues and he keeps on winning and improving then he will be more then a match for any British heavyweight out there bar Haye by the end of this year. If Tyson can rid himself of the habit of turning whilst under attack and improve his fitness and subsequently his power then he could be ready for the likes of Haye in a further twelve months time. Let’s remember though that Audley Harrison was a big and very skilful heavyweight boxer who was found out when the level of opposition was stepped up. I would say fraudley was a better boxer then Fury too. I’m not comparing them as they are two very different characters but it is so easy to get either too carried away or the complete opposite and be too cynical when talking about a young prospect. Especially a heavyweight one when everyone wants to see the division lead by an exciting champion.
Fury isnt the best heavy weight in Britain…Yet but he is the best prospect, Price looks really slow in comparison and Chisora, well make your own mind up on that one
Fury does look good.He looks like he belongs in the Heavyweight division unlike David Haye.Fury is very,very,very far away from either Klitschko or any B or C level boxers.He has a promising career ahead as long as he takes the right path.If he tries to make the jump to early,he will be brutaly KO’d like David Haye is gonna be.
Haye is the best heavyweight in this country, and Luke ‘Tyson’ fury is a couple of years away from challenging him
A couple of folk have already mentioned the thoughts running through my head after reading this article, Fury hasn’t been punched yet.
The guys fought nothing but journeymen, he is still learning his trade and is far from being the finished article.
Fury is a prospect, nothing more not the best of anything and im quite sure the hype machine will stop should he lose a fight.
his chin and stamina has not been even near tested yet, what is the most rounds hes been 3 i think, yes he has bags of potental but every1 is jumping on his band wagon way to early, its good that hes eager to fight the better fighters but he needs to get in the with some tough jouney men who can go the distance with him through some meaningful shots back then maybe we can start to jugde but he is defeintly 1 to look out for
“Haye isn’t even the best cruiserweight”
I’m not the best professional footballer in the world. Hang on, I’m not a professional footballer fullstop!
Haye isn’t even a cruiserweight anymore, Adam. You have to weigh *less* 200 pounds to be one of them.
Yes, Fury has been impressive so far, but he’s still an untested prospect so lets not get too carried away.
well hes definitely an exciting prospect for british heavyweight boxing. But at the moment we have David Haye fighting for a world title soon therefore fury is not the best, Haye is.
Fury, I am sure is a nice guy but he has very little boxing skills. The only reason that he is winning fight is the fact that he is about 7 foot tall and fighting bums. His chin is wide open for the uppercut and eventually he will be knocked out. Unless he learns some proper boxing skills.
Are you all on drugs???
David Haye is the best british heavyweight by every means, official and unofficial.
He would destroy all british heavyweights. None of them have a chance.
All british heavyweights suck apart from haye and rogan. You can’t even count fury yet as he has never been hit properly. His movement is static. One bite of the hayemaker and it will Tyson who??
thats because he is now a heavyweight Adam…
Im a american and im really impressed by a Fury and is alot better than any of our HW prospects.
I think a good fight for fury would be martin rogan. Both are great fighters sexton was easily being beaten by Rogan. I think these two fighters are the best in the uk at the moment.
We have no one else as good apart from maybe david haye.
Im not one to jump on board a boxer before he is proven and that can take some considerable time. Wladimir Klitschko took 24 fights before he met his first defeat that’s more fights than Haye has had in his whole professional career.
But I will make an exception here. I like the way Fury does things in the ring. He shows both enthusiasm, energy, aggression, and sportsmanship as shown in his last fight. Skills are being shown at each fight that are clearly showing his learning ability, and his willingness to take another fight as quickly as possible.
Don’t be put off by those that say the fights are against bums. Hayes first 6 fights were against opponents with a combined loss rate of 76 fights. No shame just the way it goes.
I will agree with some of the list. I don’t put Haye as the best HW in Britain he’s untested in that department, the best CW sure. Rogan would do do his best but I don’t believe he would get through that jab. Sexton, no chance, Chisora, no chance, Williams I’m sad to say is a spent force, and Price untested.
I really do have a feeling Fury could do well on the domestic scene. Europe is where he may have a true test. Up and coming boxers like Ustinov and Kretschmann will really take him into deep water and I have no doubt entertain the fans. Good luck to him, I like what he has done thus far and think he can do very well in the future.
Fury is the best Heavyweight in the UK now.The UK has nobody and will prop up any body to pretend that they do.the fact that were even talkin about Fury as being the best Heavy in the UK shows the state of boxing in the UK.david Haye isnt even the best Cruiserweight anymore.
I’m sure that Fury eventually will be the best heavyweight in the UK and later the world, but as it is not, Haye is without a doubt the best. Fury wouldn’t later 1 round with Haye.
The recent British title fight between Williams and McDermott was pitiful. Fury could be British champ tomorrow if he fought either of those two.