Tyson Fury: Better Than You Realize!
Current recognized Heavyweight Champion Tyson Fury has his fair share of critics and detractors. Yes, he has a personality that is off-putting to some and has a mouth to suit his super HW frame. Admittedly, I was among those who were skeptical and was not sure about whether he was the real deal, or just another overgrown, underskilled pretender.
I had previously referred to him as a “loud and lumbering mastodon who was too slow to play basketball” or something to that effect, and prior to his championship winning embarrassment over longtime champion Wladimir Klitschko last November, Fury didn’t really show any indication that he was anything special.
For such a big man (6’9, 250+lbs), he does not have proportionate punching power, and the caliber of his opponents was middling at best. However, after beating Klitschko, I had to revise my opinion of his skills and qualifications. What made me (and others) change my tune? Intangible boxing skills.
At first glance, Fury’s victory against Klitschko made me take a step back and reconsider the skills and abilities of the Ukrainian. Maybe Klitschko’s dominance was perhaps all smoke and mirrors and I could not necessarily accept that Fury was just a superior fighter. However, upon further analysis, I found (to whatever capacity I could) that the giant from the UK had proved surprisingly adept at the finer points of boxing, like controlling distance, managing punch volume, and throwing off the rhythm of his opponent. This is completely lost on 98% of the current crop of heavyweights, with Luis Ortiz maybe being an exception. Former champion Klitschko was quite accustomed to his opponent cooperating with his tactics of jab, hold, hang, break until tired, then drop a hard right hand. This had proven effective against smaller and less skilled opponents, but Fury more than matched Wladimir’s size and is actually taller, so this did not work the way he wanted. Combine that with Fury totally juking the robotic Wladimir out of his shoes with jerky and disruptive foot and head movement, Fury won a clear decision and showed the world that he was the goods.
Tyson Fury is not pretty in the way he does his job like Muhammad Ali and Larry Holmes were, or brutal like Mike Tyson, but he gets it done and follows the number one boxing axiom: to hit and not get hit. In short, the man knows how to box. He is seemingly always where he wants to be and that is at a range where his opponent cannot land cleanly. I have a feeling his power is there, and once he puts it together with his boxing ability, he’ll start scoring knockouts over more opponents. If this is not immediately evident, you need to look harder and look past just basic attributes like speed of movement and punching power and see that boxing at a high level is more than just being a great physical specimen. Many of today’s heavyweights look like Tarzan (or Tarzan full of steroids), but fight like Jane. Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying that Fury is the second coming of Lennox Lewis, but he is much, much better than many people realize.
For some, the jury may still be out on Tyson Fury, as his win over an aging Klitschko may or may not solidify his credibility. Fury hopes to put an end to that doubt on July 9, when he has his rematch with the former champion. If Wladimir lets his hands go and isn’t totally stymied by Fury’s command of distance like he was in November (and he was completely fooled), we might actually have a fight on our hands, as Klitschko does have some residual pop in his fists. Even if Klitschko is more aggressive and presses a little more, that would leave himself more open to counters, and the former champion’s chin has failed him in the past. In addition, Fury is far more mobile and will not be standing around to get a return punch to the gob. Fury himself is supremely confident in his abilities and believes he will come out victorious, and this time by stoppage. I am in agreement with him, as Klitschko is not getting any younger (he’ll be 40 at the time of the fight) and Fury, at 28, is still fully in his prime and continues to improve on a fight to fight basis.
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