When you knew they were special

[garethhop]

For me the moment with Fury was the second figth with Chisora.

Chisora has been handsfull for pretty much everyone.

I don't think that Fury lost a round that night.

Totally agree with this. After Fury had been down against the Croat and then also Cunningham, I thought he would struggle, but he didn't put a foot wrong that night with Chisora and hasn't really since.

In a way, the inactivity may help Fury because he has at least 3 years of peak left imo and could really rule the division if he stays well.

[THEBUTCH]

Interestingly I was more impressed with Fury when he beat Chisora the first time. Tyson was only 23 and handled Del Boy impressively over the 12 rounds. Some threw up excuses for Chisora because he was heavy, but in the 2nd fight he was much fitter, but Fury utterly toyed with him in a snooze-fest.

Incredulously I once heard Buncey mention a 3rd fight would be good between these two The first fight was ok, the second fight was sh1t and a 3rd fight.....would be absolutely pointless

[jameswilson]

[coghaugen11]

May 94? Chris was there in the Feb.

[brilo33]

However I felt he had showed his true level against McDermott......
What do I know!

Must admit I was exactly the same Coco - if you'd said then that Fury would go on to achieve what he has I'd have laughed at you.

but why though, i know the fight your talking about too ,and kinda know what your saying ,but it was against big john who was a big tough traveller man himself ,but it was a there as good learning fight for fury

[Deserter]

However I felt he had showed his true level against McDermott......
What do I know!

Must admit I was exactly the same Coco - if you'd said then that Fury would go on to achieve what he has I'd have laughed at you.

but why though, i know the fight your talking about too ,and kinda know what your saying ,but it was against big john who was a big tough traveller man himself ,but it was a there as good learning fight for fury

With the benefit of hindsight you can say it was a good learning fight, but at the time you could make a case for him actually having lost against someone who had already been beaten 4 times at British level, including being stopped by Matt Skelton. Given that, it was incredibly easy to think he’d found his level and would come unstuck if he tried to progress further.
I don’t think anyone who saw him in the first McDermott fight would have envisaged him going on to beat Klitschko and Wilder.

[THEBUTCH]

Fury had only 7 fights, was 22 & not been beyond 4 rounds and was pitched into a championship fight over ten rounds against an accomplished English champion and former British title challenger.

I thought Fury won the fight and in the process showed incredible grit & will to win when he looked spent well before the later rounds. What a lot of people thought was a weakness and failing, I saw as a massive positive....and the rematch was proof of how he'd learned and improved.

[bennie]

Wally Swift managed Russell Barker, a former British welterweight and middleweight champion from Nottingham and a right hard bastard inside (and outside) the ropes. Wally steered Del Bryan, Roy Smith and his son, Wally Swift Junior, to British titles with no promotional backing whatsoever. His fighters were always on the wrong side of the programme listings but they were all on good money and good money is the name of the game.

I remember Roy Smith winning the British title in Alfreton against Andy Straughn in a barnstormer, I don't know if he rocked or knocked down Straughn in the final round but Smith won the title in front of his people in Derbyshire, only to lose it in a round to Tee Jay who just steamrollered into him, I remember Smith getting down from the first knockdown - spitting one of his front teeth out in the process.

Both were televised on ITV I think!

I don't know what happened with Roy Smith. He looked great in winning the British cruiserweight title against Straughn and probably needed a rest afterwards or certainly a loosener before taking on Tee Jay but instead he took a quick non-title fight in his home city of Nottingham where he was obviously keen to impress as the new British champion. He won in seven rounds but a few weeks after that, he flopped alarmingly against Jay in London, going down four times inside the first round to lose his British title. I think he pushed himself too hard in too short a time.

[world ranked]

Some of posts show the love for power before actually seeing the guy step up.