Have any of you changed your opinion on how good Fury is? or are you still letting your pride get in the way. I'm a big boxing fan and I watch heaps of fights, most of which aren't even televised in NZ. A lot of casual fans don't know **** about boxing, they watch 2 fights a year and think they are experts (similar to rugby fans @ world cup time). Klitschko vs Fury might have looked sloppy at times but it was a bit of a chess match with heaps of feinting and a lot of footwork, neither fighter wanted to get caught or make a big mistake. Wlad was losing and should have taken a few risks, but Fury was just too quick and when Wlad went for it, the fight was basicially over. Wlad has aged no doubt, I know he could win a rematch but he could also get ktfo, the money will still be great though and winning will raise his stock a little to some, but realistically he will still be an ATG and his place in history is already set, most people only really look at prime years. Ali is one of the greatest and he was getting trounced at the end of his career
I know most of you wouldn't recognise him but this is what the late, great Manny Steward had to say about Fury
Do any of you actually follow boxing? Who are your fav fighters
My current top 5 in no particular order
Tyson Fury
Joseph Parker
Deontay Wilder
Chris Eubank jr
Gennady Golovkin
I prefer the higher weight classes, you tend to see more upsets because most of the big boys can end fights with one punch. It makes it more interesting for sure and at heavyweight you are truly seeing the best fighters in the world. P4P is a bs concept just to maintain interest in the lower weight divisions, it has no reality.
I am looking forward to Joshua vs Whyte and Eubank jr vs Spike.
Whyte will be a good test for Joshua because at least you know he will throw back, it's basically a guaranteed slug fest. I have a feeling slicker fighters like Parker, Fury and Wilder will trouble Joshua more but I'm sure Whyte will give him some rounds. If he blows away Whyte in 1 I will be surprised, I think Whyte is too tough and Joshua won't be so eager to throw when he know's something is coming back basically just as hard. I say Joshua win's but I hope he faces a little adversity I think it will help him down the line.
Eubank jr will batter spike, spike is just a tough man fighter with limited power.
Can Fury vs Haye or Fury vs Joshua sell out 80k @ Wembley? I've heard some predict Fury vs Joshua could sell it out in minutes and would sell it out if the stadium were 4 or 5 times as big.
Kevin Barry (Parkers trainer) has predicted that Fury will go for the big fights and will skip some mandatories and may forfeit belts leading to a scramble, he wants Parker to be in a position to fight for a ***le by the end of next year.
Have my thoughts changed on Fury? Well he definitely outworked Klitschko - and was a fair bit faster. Still think he has average power for a big man. Credit where it is due, he beat Klitschko. Not exactly and exciting fight like you suggested.
I watch a fair bit of boxing. Tend to stream fights. I really follow the HW division since I was a kid in the 90s. Its been pretty grim for a while - but is back on the up. In the HWs I like Parker, Wilder (when he doesn't talk), AJ, Klitschko and Takam. There is a new kid called George Arias (not THE George Arius) in the USA who looks like a young Mike Tyson in his style. Not sure he'll make it big, but worth checking out.
GGG is entertaining. I follow the big fights in the smaller divisions - but have always been more a HW fan.
So, there will be a rematch in 2016 between Wlad and Fury. Possibly at Wembley. Awesome !! Can't wait!
When you say he will blow him away like he did before, wasnt it both their first fight?
I didn't say he will blow him away, I said "he already has the confidence to blow Joshua away, as he's done it before". They said it was Dillian's first amateur boxing fight (although he was an experienced kickboxer), and AJ's 3rd fight (Dillian said that AJ was already being touted as a star, and Dillian's coach didn't want him to fight AJ because he thought he might get beat up)
so really it doesnt mean a great deal then? I think Dillian is playing on this poor repressed brother from the ghetto thing a bit too much. I think a lot of his support comes from a very traditional thing we have in the UK for not liking sucessful people and some dont like AJ for that reason.
We will see, I am going to get it on Pay for view and the wife is taking the kids to my sisters for the night so they can have a girly catch up, so its all good!.
No it doesn't mean much, but it is a nice story line. Always a bit more interesting when you have a bit of background and it will be interesting to see who has progressed the most.
NZ has inherited a bit of that tall poppy syndrome as well, I just feel like they have built AJ up (promoted him) as being unbeatable too early and people just eat it up. He is a raw talent, but he is so unproven he's not really fought anyone that's close to world ***le challenging level yet and many (arguably most people) think he could win a ***le today.
I actually really rate Whyte quite highly, IMO at this stage of their careers he is around that Parker/Joshua level, maybe slightly below. I'm not sure, so I can't wait to find out. I just don't think he has the mobility to actually beat them, but if it was a slug fest he can bang like the best of them.
Whyte has 3 opponents in common with Parker, and he has actually stopped them all quicker than Parker has. It doesn't mean a hell of a lot and may be due to fighting styles, Parker is more of a boxer/puncher and Whyte is a typical slugger, but it does tell you Whyte can hit very hard.
I do like the way Whyte fights and he can seriously punch but thats to be expected at heavy weight, my only gripe really is in his last couple of fights hes looked fat and sluggish compared to earlier fights. I hope he looks in better shape this time round as I want to him and AJ to have a real go at each other and I dont want him to end being another fat journeyman like Chisora.
PMdAnyone got a feed for the Joshua fight ?