Wladimir Klitschko vs. Tyson Fury Fight Preview and Prediction to Win
When: Saturday, November 28, 2015
Where: Esprit Arena, Dusseldorf, Germany
TV: RTL
Weight Class: Heavyweight
Titles: Undisputed World Heavyweight Championship
By Loot, Boxing Handicapper, Lootmeister.com
Wladimir Klitschko, 64-3 (53 KOs), Kiev, Ukraine
Vs.
Tyson Fury, 24-0 (18 KOs), Manchester, England
Betting Odds: Wladimir Klitschko (-450), Tyson Furt (+360)
On November 28, heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko defends his crown against unbeaten Tyson Fury in Dusseldorf. The 39 year old Klitschko may have his hands full with the hard-charging and fast-talking Fury, just 27. Fury definitely gives Klitschko a new look. He's unbeaten, taller than the champion at 6'9," and ultra confident in his chances. To spring the upset, Fury will have to unseat a long-reigning champion who has barely been challenged in the past decade, as he's utterly dominated the division.
Listening to Fury, you'd think this fight is a foregone conclusion. Give this much to the unbeaten former gypsy fighting traveler; he can sure talk up a fight. Whether he has the skills and wherewithal to carry out his bombastic prognostications remains to be seen. As the odds indicate, it would be a surprise if Fury won. But when we look back on history, unexpectedly is how just about every heavyweight champion lost his belt. And pushing 40, Klitschko is at an age where nothing can be too certain.
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Klitschko's style, however, is suited to thriving at an old age. He employs those long punches, namely the jab, to subdue opponents. And his ability to time his opponent's advances is masterful. When a challenger tries to mount an attack, he scoots niftily out of the way. And when an opponent is adequately softened-up, he starts dropping those big and accurate right hands that have accounted for most of his 53 knockouts. Recent showings have also seen Klitschko adding a new wrinkle—a left hook.
The two main criticisms of Klitschko are arguably not even drawbacks. One has been a decidedly-low caliber of challengers for the most part. That's certainly no fault of Klitschko, who also deserves credit for making this generation of big men appear so ordinary. And after suffering three KO losses, Klitschko eschews two-way fighting. In a sense, he doesn't want to actually fight. He wants to tame, subdue, operate, and eventually dispose of his foes. But this approach has been successful for Wladimir. It has allowed him to make the most of his skills, while camouflaging his vulnerabilities. Can Fury force him to fight?
Fury brings some things to the table that spark at least a slight feeling of optimism. He's truly a big man and Klitschko will be out-sized for the first time. Fury is also utterly-confident and ambitious. He has a certain hunger that not all of Klitschko's recent opponents have exhibited. The challenger gets after it with passion. He's not a mindless brawler and can think on his toes. He knows how to fight. He's also strong and truly nasty and mean.
But his size may be a handicap. You look through the annals of heavyweight boxing history and there's a reason why giant men don't rule in this arena of sport. There's a lumbering quality to Fury, a certain lack of coordination and economy of movement that you see with heavyweight champions. Not that Klitschko is a study of fluidity, but he's markedly more agile than the towering challenger.
Fury's boxing is a bit sloppy. His punches lack crispness and snap. He doesn't move like an elite boxer. And he's entirely too easy to hit and when connected upon, he is not invulnerable to being hurt. Watching puffed-up cruiserweight Steve Cunningham dump him on the mat only makes you wonder how he will stand up to the sharpshooting of the champion. It may be jarring to see the discrepancy in punch-quality between these two. Whereas Klitschko is very difficult to hit, Fury is readily available. Offensively and defensively, Klitschko is significantly better.
So what hope does Fury have? He will be aggressive and relentless, with no signs of quit. At the very least--he'll get after it. Maybe he can use his size and attitude to smother Klitschko a bit, rough him up, tire him out, and create an actual fight of it. Easier said than done. Throughout Klitschko's reign, it always seems like all the challenger needs to do is go bonkers and muscle his way in and start swinging. But they never do and that is more than mere coincidence. Klitschko doesn't allow it. His jabs are really hurtful and it doesn't take long for an opponent to want to not get hit with them anymore. So they stay away, as an instinctive form of self-preservation. And that's how it starts, with Klitschko poking away at long range until lowering the boom.
Fury is a threat by virtue of being a big, hungry, ambitious, and strong challenger, with Klitschko at an age when we see heavyweight champions losing their effectiveness. Theoretically, he should have a chance. But when breaking the fight down along more-technical lines, Fury's case begins to melt a bit. His actual merit and durability doesn't match his over-the-top braggadocio, even if his heart and ambition might. I picture a brutal fight, with Klitschko finishing Fury inside of 7 rounds.
Loot's Pick to Win the Fight: I'm betting on Wladimir Klitschko at -450. Did you know... that you could be betting on on fights at discounted odds? Stop overpaying TODAY by making the switch to the web's best bookie: 5Dimes Sportsbook! Saving money is smart!
