The heavyweight division is still firmly under the reign of Wladimir Klitschko but he has a mounting list of credible challengers eager to dethrone the long term undisputed number 1 heavyweight. Sitting aplomb of that list is Tyson Fury. Named after the maverick Mike Tyson, Fury has taken on his namesake’s very mantle both inside and outside of the ring. Fury brings the unpredictability to boxing and it would be advisable to expect the unexpected! For one, who expected him to serenade the crowd with a song after his crushing stoppage of American, Steve Cunningham?
However, the question of interest is not whether Fury can sing or not. The question that many boxing fans around the world would like answered is this – is Fury the man to end Klitschko’s dominance of the heavyweight division?
Many have risen up through the rankings to gain an opportunity to fight Klitschko and have promised great things, only to be systematically picked apart and thoroughly beaten at the gloves of Doctor Steelhammer. Now at the ripe age of 39, Klitschko has shown no signs of slowing down. In his last two outings, he obliterated Kubrat Pulev inside 6 rounds to finish off 2014 in style and then in his first outing in 2015, he made his long awaited return to fighting over in America to outclass Bryant Jennings in front of a packed crowd at the stupendous Madison Square Garden, New York. Based on these last two performances, you could not argue with those who foresee Klitschko continuing to clean up the division – including Tyson Fury!
Tyson Fury, however, does not share such a belief and is a man very confident in his abilities. Fury comes from an Irish Traveller background and his family have a long history in the sport with his father, “gypsy” John Fury, boxing back in the 80s. Fury prides himself on his heritage and believes he was born to become heavyweight champion of the world. Fury certainly divides opinion. The man from Manchester, England, can be brash, obnoxious, arrogant and most certainly outspoken but these characteristics are backed up by his performances in the ring. At only 26 years of age, Fury remains undefeated with an impressive record of 24 wins with 18 of those coming inside the distance. So far, he is a man who has been able to back up his bold claims and for that reason alone Klitschko will certainly have his work cut out.
With a fight between the two men being touted for later in the year, many believe Fury brings a contrasting style to those who have stood before Klitschko and fallen way short of the mark. Firstly and most importantly, Fury stands at 6”9, three inches taller than the Ukrainian. Klitschko is accustomed to being the bigger man on fight night but that is something he will have to give up when he faces Fury. Like Klitschko, Fury contains a very controlling and strong jab that can set the tone for the fight right from the opening bell. Akin to his personality, Fury can also be unpredictable inside the ropes. He often likes to switch stances throughout a fight, leaving his opponent perplexed as to where the next shot will come from. Klitschko has an impressive 67 fights to his name but he can be assured that none of the previous 67 that stood before him were a mirror image of what Fury will bring to the table.
Klitschko goes in to his fights as an overwhelming favourite and if this fight were to be signed, sealed and delivered, that would still apply. The persona of Fury can be difficult to warm to, but putting that aside, Fury is eyed as being the next successor to Klitschko in the heavyweight division.
To add further intrigue and spice to the potential fight, Klitschko has even entertained the idea of staging the fight in Fury’s backyard in either his hometown Manchester or the capital, London – a prospect that Fury will be salivating over! Whether the fight takes place in the UK or in Germany, I advise you to grab the popcorn, get yourself comfortable, and enjoy the ride!
– Michael Allan / @Mikey_Allan
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