Tyson Fury Storing Up His Fury for Postponed Fight with Wladimir Klitschko

By Donald “Braveheart” Stewart

Just be careful what you say to people.

It has just been announced that the Tyson Fury, 25-0, 18KO’s/Wladimir Klitschko 64-4, 53 KO’s, rematch has been postponed, probably until October. The reason? Whilst out running and training, Fury has damaged his ankle. Postponements in this game are a lot rarer than you might think and most fights get a date and stay on the date. When fighters, for whatever reason, need to postpone a fight, most fighters are sympathetic and understanding.

Well that is unless they think you are “at it” or running scared. Quite clearly Tyson Fury was absolutely convinced this was the case when his new nemesis, a certain MR David Haye, 28-1, 26 KO’s, found himself nursing a injury or two that lead to two postponement and an eventual cancellation.

Fury became the furious one and raged that Haye was avoiding him. Now I do not know if that was the case but to be fair to both, there was already a lot of bad blood that would never have helped the types of communication that can avoid people falling out – Fury will never forgive… or will he…?

Haye had already invited derision over the broken toe excuse when he fought and lost to Wladimir so there was little Haye could do to make things better for himself. Fury was having a field day. Straight after the fight was completely called off, Fury felt not only justified in his righteous indignation and anger but full of the type of bravado that got him the win against Wladimir last November.

Whilst the announcement that Fury has had to postpone has come out, Dillian Whyte 16-1, 13 KO’s, who took Anthony Joshua 16-0, 16 KO’s, into the 7th round has been preparing to get back into the ring after shoulder surgery. Whyte fought Joshua with a bad injury to his shoulder from the second round onwards though trouble had been stored up long before. Having cortisone injections in his shoulder before the fight was never going to be adequate preparation but rather than postpone, Whyte took the chance to enter the ring and hope to cause an upset. By round two his corner knew he was in trouble and though he gave Joshua plenty to think about, Whyte was never going to battle and injury and one of the most explosive heavyweights at the same time.

And so Fury is the latest heavyweight to come in and say, sorry guys, I am hurt. Unlike Whyte, this was not an injury that was going to allow him to stand and trade, stand and box or simply stand. He needs healing time and the pictures of the injury make it look very sore. The problem Fury has, is that he had made such a big thing of Haye’s withdrawal that there are likely to be people less than understanding over his own difficulties.

The likelihood of losing, had he gone in with such an injury, for the belts that are on the line makes this a very understandable decision. Fury cannot risk trying to defend his lifelong ambitions against a man who was at the top for over decade unless he is fully fit. In fact, can any boxer really go into any fight not feeling at the peak of their condition?

Plenty do. The glory they seek and the titles they chase are so enticing that they are willing to risk a great deal, simply to have their hands held aloft. Would we do it? Would we go the extra mile for our employers and accept that this is necessary for the greater good? I might – you might not. For boxers there is no real greater good, only the greater glory. This time round Fury has had to be humble and mainly silent about his withdrawal. I wonder how long that will last before the fat man is back, leaner, meaner and fitter to take on Klitschko for a second time.

Of course there are theorists out there who claim that Fury’s camp knew that their fighter was likely to lose this time round and this is all an elaborate scam… such cynicism in the world of boxing? Surely not? Next thing you will be telling me promotors are not to be trusted…

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