Since his return to boxing in 2018, Tyson Fury has been viewed as one of the most talented boxers of his generation. At 6 ft 9″ he possesses tremendous power and reach giving him a huge advantage in the jab over his opponents.
His ability at distance is ahead of anyone in the heavyweight division yet he also has the speed and agility to run rings round his opponents in a way that seems impossible for someone of his weight and height.
Throughout his career people have written Fury off, against Deontay Wilder he was seen as the underdog in the first fight, with people stating that the fight came too soon following his inactivity and excessive weight loss.
In the second fight, following the draw ,the odds were much more evenly split but it was seen as a formality that Tyson Fury would try and outpoint Wilder and the likes of David Haye saw it as foolish for him to go ‘gung ho’ with the biggest puncher in the division.
In the end Fury did the exact opposite looking for an early knockout and bombarding The Bronze Bomber with a series of explosive combinations and essentially bullying the former WBC champion.
Fury’s biggest career shock came back in 2015, when he faced Ukranian champion Wladamir Klitchsko in Dusseldorf. At the time Wlad was seen as the dominant fighter in the heavyweight division, having seen off challenger after challenger, completing a total of 18 successive title defences. The Klitchsko brothers Wlad and Vitali had monopolised all the belts in the division in a decade of dominance.
Dr Steelhammer’s had been unbeaten since 2004 and a crucial factor in that success had been the excellent coaching instilled to him through the late great Emmauel Steward. Klitschko had perfected a jab and hold style which nullified his opponents offence, wearing them down until they left themselves exposed to a killer blow.
Many opponents had talked a good game when facing Wlad, David Haye had worn a t shirt with him holding the heads of the Klitchsko brothers and many boxers claimed to have the power to topple the great Dr Steelhammer. But the Ukranian had always found the antidote, that was until he met Tyson Fury.
Tyson Fury went into the fight unbeaten with 25 victories and had been chasing a title fight with Klitchsko throughout the last two years. He had proven himself as a great talent in the sport, having eased through Derek Chisora twice and the likes of Christian Hammer to force the title fight.
Despite his unbeaten record pundits felt that this fight was a step too far for Fury as Klitchkso was seen as a huge step up in calibre from any opponent he had faced. Many pundits believed Klitchsko could not be beaten particularly in Dusseldorf where he would be backed by the majority of his own fans.
Bookies had a Tyson Fury victory at odds of 3/1 whereas Klitchsko was the overwhelming favourite at 1/4.
Throughout the press conference Fury taunted Klitchsko calling him an “old man” and promising he as a “young hungry lion” would make Klitchsko “feel his age”.
Klitschko was reserved and well mannered in the press conference whereas Tyson Fury was eratic and entertaining, he even dressed up as Batman in the final press conference.
Throughout the press conference Tyson Fury’s behaviour was unpredictable and that’s exactly what he proved to be in the fight. Tyson Fury’s sharp jabs and unpredictable style left Klitchsko bewildered and he seemed to be spell bound by the Gypsy kings movement in the ring.
Throughout the fight Fury seemed to constantly adapt his style, fighting some rounds in orthodox and then changing his stance to southpaw. Klitchsko had prided himself on finding a way to nullify his opponents style but was instead left frustrated as he failed to find any real rhythm in the fight.
The fight was by no means a classic in terms of entertainment and was at times a messy affair but it was a masterful performance by Fury. Who was able to dominate the pace of the fight and he cruised to a unanimous victory over the Ukranian veteran to stun pundits and become the IBF,WBO and WBA heavyweight champion of the world.
For more classic tales in sports history, check out our underdog stories section.
Quality write up – enjoyed this.
Glad you liked it, Joe!