By By Simon Allen: More or less nobody in the boxing world is given to believe the big Englishman can win in Dusseldorf on Saturday night. Tyson Fury however is a different beast to most and his confidence and unpredictability mean no one can categorically rule him out.
He faces a formidable champion in Wladmir Klitschko, owner of a record that boasts 27 world title fights, 23 successful title defences and unbeaten in 11 years. It seems to me that calibre of opponent is as good a place to start as any.
Klitschko has faced a who’s who of Heavyweight contenders and pretenders in long, illustrious career, Tyson Fury simply hasn’t. His best wins have come against Derek Chisora who he beat comprehensively twice but is hardly the best yard stick in which to judge his credentials. An argument can be made that he has beat all those put in front of him but the level of his opponents is nowhere near the same.
Much has also been made of Tyson’s height, billed as 6’9’’ and how Wladmir will deal with this advantage. Close up’s and head to heads have shown this to be negligible. Klitschko has beat bigger men than him before most recently Kubrat Pulev and will be sure that he has the assets needed to deal with this.
Where Fury does stand a chance is in his boxing ability. In contrary to his abrasive personality, Tyson is not a brawler or a knock out artist. He is at his best boxing from distance using good footwork and a stinging accurate jab and overwhelming his opponents with punches. He is also very quick for man his size and can counter and change stances when necessary. When he goes looking for a scrap, he is beatable, as was evident in his first fight with John McDermott, which he won thanks to one of the worst decisions I have ever seen in the sport. Klitschko however can also box and has an Olympic medal to his name and experience against almost every type of fighter you can think of, age however could be the difference here and Wladmir has never been known for fancy footwork.
Klitschko is well known for being chinny, it’s why he fights as he does, cautiously, whether you like it or not it’s sensible and effective, he won’t however be overly concerned with Tyson’s power. Fury himself can take a punch but he has hit the canvas against smaller opposition, although always come back to win, a testament to the will and heart of the man. Fury however has never been hit by someone like Klitschko and he is hittable, how he takes those shots will have a major bearing in the fight.
Tyson’s antics outside the ring, from Batman to megalomaniac priest won’t bother Wladmir either who has seen and heard it all before. It will be interesting to see if Fury can contain his emotions however. If he comes out undisciplined he will pay the price if he suffers any sort of nervousness the same problem. Tyson if he has nothing else he has confidence in himself and despite his at times odd behaviour is a smart man and I expect him and those around him will do eeverything to keep him level headed.
Fury is a decent boxer and he hits hard enough, Klitschko is a better one and hits harder. Both fighters will be fit but the difference is glaringly obvious, Wladmir is an athlete he trains and lives as one and if the fight starts to head down the stretch this will be a major advantage.
Klitschko will start as always careful and solid, working his foe out and before picking him apart ending in a late stoppage. In order for Fury to have a chance of winning he needs to start quick and be aggressive and not get caught cold and Wladmir needs to age overnight. Then maybe just maybe he can go on to win and shock the world. It has happened before why not again, just don’t bet on it.
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