By Scott Gilfoid: After surviving a scare against the slow molasses journeyman Nicolai Firtha last weekend, unbeaten British and Commonwealth heavyweight champion Tyson Fury (16-0, 11 KO’s) is eying another easy mark, this time against the light-hitting, slow punching 34-year-old Canadian heavyweight Neven Pajkic (16-0, 5 KO’s) for his next fight. Fury is really setting the bar low, and I guess I don’t blame him. The mind is willing but the chin is weak.
This would be another step down for the 23-year-old Fury, who seems to be moving backwards in his career instead of forwards after beating Dereck Chisroa in July by a 12 round decision. Fury was staggered last Saturday night in the 3rd round by Firtha in really the only hard punch that Firtha threw in the entire fight. The shot had Fury staggering and holding on like a drunk coming out of a bar.
It was all Fury could do to hold onto Firtha to escape the round without getting knocked out. Fury did come back to dominate the 4th and get a strange stoppage in the 5th when the referee halted the fight even though Firtha was still fighting back. Overall, I gave Fury a C- for that bout because he only got hit hard once, and he was in bad, bad shape.
And his jab was like a weak noodle – no power, not snap and no speed. Fury was bragging about his jab afterwards, but I got to tell you, it’s one of the worse jabs I’ve seen. Anyone can walk though it to get in close, which is what Firtha was doing. Fury was just lucky that Firtha had no inside game, because if he did he’d have knocked Fury out no problem.
Fury also could still end up fighting 40-year-old Martin Rogan, as he’s still someone that Fury wants to fight. It’s another fight that really is a retreat from the Chisora fight. It’s a complete waste of time in my view. Fury might as well turn around and fight Chisora again, because at least he’ll get someone that is competitive with him because of Chisora’s power.
Pajkic, 34, has no power and is very slow. He’s a slow come forward type who likes to throw shots and then immediately fall over his opponents grabbing and wrestling. He does this after pretty much every punch be throws without fail, making it painful to watch. He sometimes shows a nifty hold and hit move and can be dangerous when he’s doing that, but that’s about the only way I can see him giving Fury any problems. Again, I see this as a couple steps backwards for Fury.
It’s a good record padding fight, but it’s not going to help Fury prepare for better fighters like the Klitschkos, Robert Helenius or David Price. Speaking of Price, I wonder why Fury all of a sudden isn’t calling the guy out anymore? Had that been Price in the ring with Fury last weekend instead of the light hitting Firtha, Fury would have been knocked out early. Just imagine Price blasting Fury with shots the equivalent of the one that Firtha staggered Fury with in the 3rd.
Rather than it being just a once in a while big shot, Fury would be getting hit with those mammoth shots over and over again in every round. Of course, Fury wouldn’t last more than one or two rounds with Price clobbering him. For this reason, I don’t see Fury’s management putting him in with Price, even after Price takes care of John McDermott on November 5th in their British heavyweight title eliminator bout. Price will win that fight, and become Fury’s mandatory challenger for his British title. You can expect Fury to then vacate that title rather than face Price and get knocked out.
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