‘Two Ton’ Tyson Fury still has the stomach for the fight
ALAN HUBBARD’S PUNCHLINES – 1.5.16
Don’t fooled by Tyson Fury’s sixty-six pack. The most widely-recognised world heavyeight champion may be playing it for belly laughs but he’ll be as fit as a fiddle (or at least a double bass) when he defends his titles in his return with Wladimir Klitschko at the Manchester Arena on July 9.
He’s crass, he’s a clown, he’s controversial and he’s a pain in the ass but the Gypsy Giant is no fool.
He knows exactly what sort of game he’s playing in displaying his bulging gut and sagging love handles in public but believe me they’ll be gone when he climbs between the ropes.
Yes, he’s way out of shape but over the next couple of months he’ll be working assiduously to sweat off those extra stones at the Fury training base in Holland. His astute Uncle Peter will see to that.
Fury’s transition from Batman to Fatman is all part of his weird psychological warfare, hoping to lull the now 40-year-old Klitschko into a believing that this time round he’ll be facing a slob rather than a slugger,
But equally important is that he has engendered massive publicity for the BoxNation-televised scrap.
Stripping off his shirt to display a massive midriff bulge got him prominently pictured in the public prints and on TV. Just the ticket for the Box office – and BoxNation.
A clever ruse to whip up interest in the fight and take the edge off any any publicity that British rival Anthony Joshua sought for his own initial IBF title defence against yet another numpty from America a fortnight before Fury’s ‘return or revenge’‘ date with Klitschko.
We know this will be another easy knock-over for Josh so Fury won the publicity battle on points by sowing the seeds of doubt as to whether he will be in sufficient condition to again frustrate and out-maneuver the clearly already in-shape Ukrainian second time round.
If the fight was to take place nest weekend he’d certainly be up there among history’s fighting fatties like James ‘Buster’ Douglas, Riddick Bowe, James Toney and Two Ton Tony Galento.
But by July 9 if not quite a shadow of himself he’ll certainly be leaner (he couldn’t be meaner) when he clashes with Klitschko again.
Because with a humungous pay day against Joshua looming next year the last thing he’ll want to do is for his status as a world champion to go belly up.
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GGG v BJS? Not as easy as ABC
Gennady Gennnadyevich Golovkin is hardly a name as American as apple pie but the California-based middleweight from Kazakhstan is fast becoming the favourite fighting son of US fans.
This mini-Mike Tyson packed out LA’s Inglewood Forum last Saturday with his two-rounds demolition of hapless Dominic Wade,just as he did Madison Square Garden against David Lemieux last October.
It is not just because he is an enthralling fighter – arguably the best middleweight champion since Marvelous Marvin Hagler- but that he has suh a pleasantly engaging personality once he has finished the day job of throwing those wrecking-balll punches. He has also bothered to learn English, and now has a sprinkling of Spanish to win over the Latinos.
Golovkin and Saul Alvarez – assuming the Mexican overcomes a bulked-up Amir Khan next weekend – is boxing’s most natural match-up of 2016.
I think he’d beat Canelo but I agree with Frank Warren that one prospective opponent who would give him a hell of a fight is Billy Joe Saunders.
Saunders would be in with a shout because of his sound defence, ability to aborb a good shot an deploy intelligent boxing skills.
I am not saying the WBO champion would win but GGG against BJS would by no means be as easy as ABC.
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Lucky 13 for Josh
Much as we all love Anthony Joshua it does seem that after the sorry saga of Charles Martin the IBF really are scraping boxing’s barrel by conveniently installing previously unranked Dominic Breazeale at number13 in their ratings as his first challenger. Presumably Audley Harrison wasn’t available.
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FIGHTING TALK
Give me my belt! I’m ready.
Gennday Golovkin says he can’t wait to get it on with WBC champion Alvarez.
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He’s not just a demolition artist, he’s a heartbreaker.
BoxNation’s Steve Lillis extols the virtues of Triple G.
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Dominic Breazeale is nobody’s dea of a heavyweight challenger, just as Charles Martin was no heavyweight champion. Both, therefore, make perfect opponents for Anthony Joshua. His career is being steered masterfully but whether it is worth paying to view right now is another matter entirely.
Martin Samuel, the Daily Mail’s heavyweight sports columnist, queries whether Josh is currently worth the TV dosh.
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I am not accepted in this country. I am a gypsy and that’s it. I will always be a gypsy, I’ll never change. I will always be fat and white and that’s it. I am the champion yet I am thought of as a bum. I am moving out of the country. I am going to America where champions are better thought of.
Seems overweight Tyson Fury been eating too many of those chips on his shoulder.
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Tomorrow: The Big Interview with Jimmy Kelly. ‘It’s great to be back in business’
