A View From Ringside: No More Waiting as Tyson Fury Targets World Title Shot

As David Haye’s three-year process of self-inflation and bravado to orchestrate a world title unification fight against Wladimir Klitschko whimpered to a wide points-decision loss in July, his collapse could be heard around the world. Haye meekly announced his retirement shortly after the bout at just 31, Wladimir added the WBA strap to his existing IBF and WBO titles, and countless beaten heavyweight prospects impotently gawked as the Klitschko duopoly marched on. Seemingly, the final bastion of hope for British heavyweight boxing had fallen.

Haye’s untimely retirement presented a vacancy for someone new to fill; a fighter willing to shoulder the imposing expectation of British boxing fans, and Wilmslow’s Tyson Fury has positioned himself as the most viable candidate.

Fury is fighting within a division in which it’s constituents rarely peak before their thirties; a fleeting glance at the top 25 heavyweights in the world throws up names like Tomasz Adamek, Ruslan Chagaev and Chris Arreola, all sullenly resting the wrong side of 30. In spite of this, Evander Holyfield, Cedric Boswell and Tony Thompson continue to prove that the final bell needn’t be rung at forty. Even the Klitschko brothers are 35 and 40 respectively.

At just 23, Fury’s career is still in relative infancy, but he still stands as the number one ranked British heavyweight, ninth in the world and the current unified British and Commonwealth champion after dispatching with fellow Brit Dereck Chisora in July.

Heavyweight boxing is arguably in it’s deepest recess of an enduring malaise, perpetrated by a dominant yet uninspiring, mechanical contingent of Eastern European fighters. Fury is in the process of solidifying himself as the antidote to such accusations.

“I’m sick of all this talk about there being no great heavyweight fighters,” Fury disputes, brimming with defiance. “I’m here and I’m 23. I’ll be 17-0 with 12 knockouts, ready to fight anybody in the world.

“I might get a lot of criticism, but that just fuels my fire. It makes me stronger, fitter, faster, sharper and hungrier. I’m out there to prove some people wrong, the people who say I’m not the best heavyweight in Britain even though I’m ranked number one, but you can never please everyone.”

“To be in the [world] top 10 feels great, but I’ve worked hard for it, trust me. But you know what? It will make me a better fighter, getting in there and taking on hard fights. While these other guys are busy getting matched up with bums, I’m not. When I finally do get there, I’ll stay at the top for as long as I want to.”

Fury should be tactful and considerate in his advancement towards a world title; many have fallen before him, victim to the dazzling shimmer of a world title belt that proved out of reach. Retaining his current Commonwealth strap top the priority list as he prepares for his first sanctioned defence against Neven Pajkic, and the Serbian-born Canadian presents a considerable obstacle, topping 6ft 3in and 235lbs.

“I’m sure Pajkic can punch, because at 6ft 3in and 17 stones they all can punch, trust me.

“He has fought some high level competition; he beat the Olympian from Poland [Grzegorz Kielsa (11-2)] twice, he beat Nicolai Firtha (20-9-1) on points, he beat Jason Gavern (21-8-4) and Johnnie White (22-4). He has beaten quite a few tidy opponents, so I’m not underestimating him. This is my own world title fight here.”

Fury assures me that he is “feeling good, training hard and everything is going well”, stirred by the opportunity to fight in front of a home crowd in Manchester for the first time since he was an amateur.

“It’s exciting and making me train even harder,” Fury asserts. “I’ve had the right sparring this time, I’ve had a conditioning trainer and a Canadian trainer. I’ve had it all and I’m going to put on a good boxing display for my hometown fans.

“I’m the defending champion, so he [Pajkic] is coming to me as an opponent.  To take my title he really is going to have to kill me. There is no surrender in me. No quitting.”

In all likelihood, Fury’s hypothetical world title opportunity – should he overcome Pajkic - will be accompanied by a mass of legal and procedural stipulations, undoubtedly including the obligation to travel. His most likely opponent will be current WBA champion Aleksandr Povetkin, a Russian based out of Chekhov.

“I’m not thinking about the European [title] any more,” Fury insists. “I’m thinking about other things now, bigger things. I want the winner of Povetkin-Boswell. I’m ready to take Povetkin out, no problem, but he has to get past Boswell first.”

For all of Fury’s enthusiasm, the fact remains that the heavyweight division has long been dominated away from the shores of Britain and the US, hastily locating to mainland Europe and curling up snugly at the feet of the long-dominant Klitschko brothers. If Fury is to prove his worth on a world level, the next step must be a venture onto foreign soil, and Fury’s punches must have the same impact in Mannheim as Manchester, in Chekhov as Cheshire.

Iconic heavyweight Mike Tyson once explained that “the temptation for greatness is the biggest drug in the world”; now intoxicated by the prospect of a world title opportunity, Tyson Fury is unremitting in his hopes of re-establishing the heavyweight championship as the greatest prize in sport. Infatuated by notions of world dominance, Fury is now ready to present himself as the candidate capable of wrestling the governance of heavyweight boxing from Eastern Europe.

“I’m the British and Commonwealth champion chasing a World title,” Fury proudly testifies, before confidently recalibrating his ambitions for the immediate future. “I’m chasing them. This time next year, I will be WBA world champion.”

Tickets for Fury vs. Pajkic, starting at £30, may be purchased via Hennessy Sports Box Office 01925 755 222, Ticketline.co.uk 0844 888 4402, Ticketmaster.co.uk 0844 847 2500 and online at www.HennessySports.com.

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