Fight by Fight: Tyson Fury

[HomicideHenry]

With the Nicolai Valuev thread and the Joe Choynski thread serving as an inspiration, why not a breakdown of the most recent lineal heavyweight champion--- and work backwards all the way to Gentleman Jim Corbett the first heavyweight champion who was ever filmed.

Some Background Before the Pros

Fury had his first amateur contest in 2005 at the age of 16, featured below. Within three years Fury compiled a record of 31-4 (26) winning the ABA Super Heavyweight championship. He could have qualified to represent Ireland in the 2008 Olympic Games, but was unable to prove lineage (at that time).

Fury himself described his style in the amateurs as that of a 'slapper', saying that it was under his uncle Hughie's watchful eye that he learned how to properly turn punches over, etc. in the pros. Fury's trainer in the amateurs was Steve Egan featured below.



It's something prophetic that Egan predicted by 2016 Fury would be the heavyweight champion of the world. The fact that Fury won the world title in October 2015, just two months shy is amazing.



Fury facing off against David Price in the semi-finals back in 2006. Fury loses a unanimous decision. Fury was 18 years old, Price was 23.



Price does a retrospective with John Fury on the amateur and professional rivalry that Tyson Fury and David Price had together.



2007 amateur bout Fury has. Representing Ireland instead of Great Britain. We see a rather rough-and-tumble Tyson Fury here knocking out his American opponent.



A nice little documentary about the early years of Tyson Fury for more perspective on this stage of his career as a boxer.


The Pros (2008-Present)



Debut, 6 rounds, 1st round kayo
-Height & weight differentials are quite striking as Fury's Hungarian opponent is 6'3.5" and 191 pounds to Fury's 260+, and the opponents record is 3-9-2



2nd fight, 6 rounds, 3rd round kayo
-Step up in class as Zeller is 6'1" & 230+ with a record of 21-3, but Fury handles his much experienced opponent easily



3rd fight, 6 rounds, 2nd round kayo
-Daniel Peret (Shrek) 6'0" and 252 pounds with a record of 15-20, something of a step back from Zeller but certainly the heaviest man Fury's faced thus far; easily controlled from beginning to end by Fury



4th fight, 6 rounds, 4th round kayo
-Lee Swaby, most famous for dropping Enzo Mac in 2000, has a record of 23-22-2 and is 229 and 6'2"; the first southpaw Fury faces as a pro and Swaby lasts longer than expected because of that awkwardness but Fury wins all rounds comfortably



5th fight, 6 rounds, 1st round kayo
-Matthew Ellis, 20-6-1, weighs 203 pounds and while a step up in class from Swaby the height and weight differentials are (once again) striking; Fury remarks how hard it is to find suitable opponents. Fury's easiest win to date as Ellis is dropped twice inside of 48 seconds.



6th fight, 8 rounds, 2nd round kayo
-Belshaw, 10-1, standing 6'7" and 242 is the first opponent similar in size to Fury but is simply out boxed & out gunned; Fury demonstrating body punching and silencing critics who don't believe Fury is heavy handed.



7th fight, 6 rounds, 3rd round kayo
-A step back in class (6'2" 18 stone) this Latvian heavyweight (3-6) was a short notice opponent; Fury was already in line for a shot against English champion John McDermott--- Fury seems to be taking it easy on the man instead of letting go with the hands, which is what he'd do for guys like Seferi later down the road.



8th fight, 10 rounds, WUD10
-The first time Fury goes the distance! McDermott, 25-5, standing 6'3" and 253 pounds in some circles was perceived as being robbed against Fury. McDermott was certainly the best opponent Fury fought up until this point having lost two controversial decisions to Danny Williams & had knocked out the legendary Pele Reid. For the English Heavyweight championship.

[HomicideHenry]

9th fight, 6 rounds, W6
-After the "controversial" fight with McDermott the giant of Manchester takes a step back in class facing journeyman Tomas Mrazek (4-22-5); it's apparent Fury was in cruise control not really pressing the issue until the last round or so.



10th fight, 8 rounds, 1st round kayo
-Another step down in class against journeyman Hans-Joerg Blasko (9-3), which is clearly a "stay busy" contest before his rematch with John McDermott three months later. Blasko was 245 pounds.



11th fight, 12 rounds, 9th round kayo
-Fury erases all doubts as to who the better man between the two was as he drops McDermott once in round eight and twice in round nine. For the English Heavyweight championship & was a British Heavyweight championship eliminator.



12th fight, 8 rounds, W8
-Rich Powers (12-0) was simply too small (221) for Fury, who, once again was fighting on cruise control not really pressing the issue; it's apparent that these are "learning fights" for Fury as he's being instructed to box and not punch with authority.



13th fight, 8 rounds, W8
-Zack Page was Fury's first American opponent! However, despite his experience as a solid tough journeyman (21-32-2) he was too small at 218 pounds. Fury wins the fight comfortably. Was Fury's first fight in North America on the undercard of Pascal-Hopkins. Fury trained for a time w/ Emmanuel Stewart during this time.



14th fight, 10 rounds, 5th round kayo
-The 235 pound Nascimento was 13-0 and was downed in the first round. Fury's next fight would come five months later, Page was two months prior to this. Quite the hyperactive heavyweight if one thinks about it.



15th fight, 12 rounds, WUD12
-Chisora (14-0) was 261 pounds, actually heavier than Fury (255)! Yet another "controversial" contest where a minority thought Fury was gifted the decision. Was one of the most entertaining fights from the heavyweight division that year.



16th fight, 12 rounds, 6th round kayo
-Firtha (20-8-1) was 247 and 6'6" similar in size to Fury; It must be noted that Firtha went the distance with Alexander Povetkin prior to this contest & yet Fury stopped him. Firtha's last fight, it must be noted, was against Deontay Wilder.



17th fight, 12 rounds, 3rd round kayo
-Neven Pajkic (16-0) becomes the first man to ever drop Fury (2nd round) but Fury drops Pajkic twice in the following round for the win. Chris Johnson as Fury's trainer for this fight.



18th fight, 12 rounds, 5th round kayo
-Rogan was the "Cinderella Man" of the United Kingdom back in 2009 and here in 2012 he still had much fanfare; Fury boxes southpaw in this contest and controls the fight entirely. For the Ireland National Championship. It must be noted that Peter Fury becomes Tyson's trainer from this point forward until 2016.

[jamamb]

kuod to you hen , but good luck with the nearly 70 fight wlad who is up next

[HomicideHenry]

kuod to you hen , but good luck with the nearly 70 fight wlad who is up next

I know right lol, but I don't think every single fight of Wladimir Klitschko's is out there, so it'll be probably closer to 55 bouts to cover.

[HomicideHenry]

9th fight, 12 rounds, 5th round kayo
-Maddalone (35-7) was for the WBO Intercontinental title and Fury's second appearance in North America. Would comfortably by Fury, this took place three months after Rogan. The ring is noticeably smaller than usual, which should have benefited Maddalone but made little difference.



20th fight, 12 rounds, WUD12
-Kevin Johnson who went 12 with Vitali Klitschko is easily outpointed by Fury; the training of Peter Fury is paying off big time. This was (also) a WBC title eliminator.



21st fight, 12 rounds, 8th round kayo
-Cunningham, the former cruiserweight champion, was the second man to ever drop Fury. Outside of the knockdown Fury was in control and by round five Cunningham was tiring. This was Fury's third appearance in North America.



22nd fight, 10 rounds, 4th round kayo
-Joey Abell (29-7) was a soft touch, as Fury comes in at a career high of 274 pounds and drops Abell four times. Clearly a stay busy fight and nothing more.



23rd fight, 12 rounds, 10th round kayo
-Long awaited rematch with Dereck Chisora (20-4) and Fury never got out of first gear easily winning the fight. If anyone had any doubts about Fury they were erased.



24th fight, 12 rounds, 8th round kayo
-Hammer (17-3) was for the WBO Intercontinental title, and was yet another easy victory for Fury. It must be noted that Alexander Povetkin would go the distance with Hammer, yet Fury stopped Hammer. For those saying Fury has no power the fact this anomaly keeps popping up is no coincidence. Fury can punch, as his 70% overall ratio points out.



25th fight, 12 rounds, WUD12
-The Heavyweight Championship of the World against Wladimir Klitschko who was reigning 8 years with 20 some odd title defenses. For the first time in Klitschko's career he is outboxed. Quite the feat considering Klitschko seldom ever gave up a single round in fights. A master-class boxing chess match.

[HomicideHenry]

Fury and Klitschko were supposed to have a rematch, this time to be held in Great Britain on Fury's home turf and there was much interest in this bout.

Klitschko SEEMED more intense & focused to regain the crown and ironically enough the press favored Klitschko to win the rematch--- which deeply offended the new champion and his family.

This "backlash" seemed to be a catalyst for the mental/emotional breakdown of Fury. Several "controversies", depending how you perceive a controversy anyways, happened in succession which made Fury seem to be going off the rails so to speak (ie, Sportsman of the Year).



Little did the public know, however, that Fury had been engaging in drugs and was suffering from depression. The problems only increased with the public being behind Wladimir Klitschko rather than himself--- or being more enthusiastic about Anthony Joshua.



The fact that he gotten fat following the fight in Germany, and the rematch was a few months away, one had to wonder whether Fury was throwing it away.



His uncle & trainer Peter Fury during the press conference seemed to be the "voice of reason" and though he was entirely in his nephew's corner, he said it plainly that this would not be easy and would be a more difficult fight because Klitschko will know what to expect this time around, etc--- as if to preach to his own fighter the urgency of what was at stake.



Strangely, out of the blue, Wladimir Klitschko gets injured in training camp. Some perceived it to be mind games from the Klitschko camp. Then Fury himself was injured in training camp. The fight kept getting postponed.



And then one day Fury took his ball and went home. Negotiations to reschedule, everything, just stopped altogether. Not long afterwards he announced on Twitter that he was done with boxing. Strangely enough, though, he never really did the official paperwork to relinquish the titles--- which is why RING magazine didn't strip him until 26 months after the Klitschko bout.



Sad as some interviews were he was "true to his word" that he stopped caring about boxing and said he was going to get "fat" and no longer have a try at doing anything. In the coming months he'd balloon towards 400 pounds.

Fury would later confess in interviews with Joe Rogan and others (later on) that he was on the verge of suicide during this period of his life and nearing divorce. He was seen at bars and clubs oftentimes drunk and to the point where people had to help him walk.



But somewhere along the line Fury found some motivation within himself to get better, do better, and he started out with a video on social media saying he'd beat Anthony Joshua. AJ replied back, "Get in shape first you fat fornicate," and soon enough Fury was back in the gym.



It was considered something of a joke among critics, insiders and haters seeing Fury wobbling about trying to get back in shape. The cruelty of the public was criminal at times, but Fury didn't stop. It was reminiscent of George Foreman coming back to boxing well over 300 pounds and slowly but surely getting down as low as 235.

To the surprise of everyone, he parted ways with Uncle Peter Fury and selected another trainer--- Fury claimed it was because he was "stale" in the second Klitschko camp and needed a change. He also parted ways with Mick Hennessy, the promoter who was with him from his debut, and signed with allegedly.



26th fight, 10 rounds, 4th round kayo
-Sefer Seferi, whose claim to fame was going the distance with Manual Charr prior to this, was never in the fight. Fury, awfully playful, not trying to hurt his much smaller opponent tried to make a show of it--- until the end of the 3rd round, landing one well placed shot which forced Seferi to quit on his stool between rounds. Fury, still far away from the klitschko fight in terms of shape, weighed in at 276 which was 2 pounds heavier than the Joey Abell fight.



27th fight, 10 rounds, WUD10
-Francesco Pianeta, former world title challenger, was 35-4-1 and 254.5 pounds (6'5") for this second comeback fight. Fury weighed in at 258 pounds. Clearly holding back, he explained he "needed the rounds" because he was in talks of facing WBC champion Deontay Wilder who was sitting at ringside. To the surprise of many, after the fight, the two men announced that the official announcement for the fight would be coming within a week. Most "experts" say that they'd have hoped Fury would have taken more fights before taking on Wilder--- to give Fury a solid chance of winning. Wilder & Joshua were in negotiations to fight each other to unify the titles but that fell through after Joshua's team balked at $50 million.





Whatever happens December 1st between Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder in the Lineal/WBC Heavyweight championship bout what cannot be denied is the incredible transformation and dedication and drive Fury has underwent over the passed 2.5 years and if he wins it'll be not only the "Comeback of the Year" it'll be the boxing story of the year and arguably the upset of the year.

[Ambling Alp II]

This should get moved over to the Current Scene.

[HomicideHenry]

This should get moved over to the Current Scene.

If BoxRec had a duplication option that'd be better--- but this is for historical context because all of those fights are in the past.

Next will be Wladimir Klitschko, who hints now and again a possible comeback, so who knows if he should/would be considered "past" or "current".

I have a suspicion that he may just call out Fury if Fury beats Wilder saying that he never got his return fight. It might make sense from a certain standpoint because Joshua won his distinction as "the man" from beating klitschko so if Fury agreed & won again that'd be doubling down that he's truly the man and not Joshua.

[Controversial]

Thanks for posting the first McDermott fight, I never saw it and it was never on youtube. I will watch it later but listening to the result it seems no one thought Fury won.

[HomicideHenry]

In the career of Tyson Fury there were a couple of fights that fell through other than the Wladimir Klitschko rematch. Some early on in Fury's career and others when Fury was a bonafide contender to the heavyweight title.

In no particular order here they are for review and discussion:



September 28, 2013 at the Manchester Arena was to be the original date & site of Fury/Haye but failed to materialize after two pull outs by David Haye. The first postponment was due to a cut eye, and the cancellation was due to a torn rotator cuff that required surgery.



Fury commenting on the issue (the cut eye) was interesting because Fury in the weeks before predicted that the fight ultimately wouldn't happen because of Haye. It must be noted that in preparation for Fury, Haye's chief sparring partner was Deontay Wilder.



Fury was 21-0 at the time, his best wins at the time being over Cunningham and Chisora. Haye was the former WBA champion having lost to Wladimir Klitschko prior to this. It was billed as "The Biggest British Heavyweight Fight" since Lewis-Bruno.



July 14th, 2014 at the Manchester Arena... Dereck Chisora pulled out of his fight with Fury due to a hand injury, and Fury needed a replacement and the 6'8" Alexander Ustinov was brought in. Unfortunately, yet another disappointing setback (personally and professionally) occurred as Fury's uncle and trainer Hughie fell deathly ill and Fury withdrew from the contest. Three months later Hughie Fury passed away.



For a brief time Fury was supposed to fight 6'6" Gonzalo Omar Basile of Argentina who had 70+ fights, unfortunately, the February 15th clash at the CopperBox Arena in London did not happen.

https://www.badlefthook.com/2012/10/27/ ... oxing-news

Earlier in Fury's career (2012) he was scheduled to fight Denis Boytsov (#2 ranked by the WBC at the time) December 1st. However in November, Boytsov pulls out of the contest because he claimed he wasn't given enough time to prepare--- the fight was being renegotiated for February 13th (2013) but it ultimately went nowhere.

https://www.badlefthook.com/2012/11/9/3 ... oxing-news

This short list (incomplete) is indicative of a man whose destiny was pushed back often. Whether Fury could have won the fights or not at that time is speculative however considering he cracked the Klitschko code and became champion it's a strong possibility he would have.

[HomicideHenry]

Thanks for posting the first McDermott fight, I never saw it and it was never on youtube. I will watch it later but listening to the result it seems no one thought Fury won.

Your welcome, that's why these kinds of threads are necessary. It was a very fun fight to watch. One could make the argument for either man, but yes McDermott was the aggressor. Fury had his own moments of aggression that worked well.

[Ambling Alp II]

This should get moved over to the Current Scene.

If BoxRec had a duplication option that'd be better--- but this is for historical context because all of those fights are in the past.

Next will be Wladimir Klitschko, who hints now and again a possible comeback, so who knows if he should/would be considered "past" or "current".

I have a suspicion that he may just call out Fury if Fury beats Wilder saying that he never got his return fight. It might make sense from a certain standpoint because Joshua won his distinction as "the man" from beating klitschko so if Fury agreed & won again that'd be doubling down that he's truly the man and not Joshua.

Well of of course all of his fights are in the past!

[Caractacus]

Also don't forget a listing of Tyson Fury's cancelled and post-pond fights as well as an annotated listing
of all his sparring partners over the years ?

[ewenhay]

Excellent work Henry. Really enjoyed that. Thanks

[BitPlayer]

Great work,

https://elephind.com/

This is useful for finding a lot of old newspapers. Look for them from the time of the fight and in the same state, you can often find ones before and after for backround and aftermath.

[HomicideHenry]

Thanks guys!

[DrDuke]

14th fight, 10 rounds, 5th round kayo
-The 235 pound Nascimento was 13-0 and was downed in the first round. Fury's next fight would come five months later, Page was two months prior to this. Quite the hyperactive heavyweight if one thinks about it.

Uploaded the full version.

[HomicideHenry]

Thanks for that

[HomicideHenry]

28th fight, December 1st 2018

For many people Fury facing Wilder after fighting two nonentities in the division, after nearly three years of inactivity, it seemed absolutely laughable that Fury could remotely win.

Just like the Klitschko fight, Fury was basically written off except by the most ardent of fans. What would transpire over the course of twelve rounds would make Fury winner of "COME BACK OF THE YEAR" as well as "ROUND OF THE YEAR" in 2018, with most of the sporting public seeing Fury as the rightful winner of the contest which was declared a draw.



Fury after the fight gave thanks to Jesus Christ Almighty God, just like the Klitschko fight, and declared that Deontay Wilder was the "best heavyweight in the world next to me" and both men called out Anthony Joshua.

[HomicideHenry]

Following the Wilder fight many expected there to be an automatic rematch, but that's not what would happen. Fury would sign a promotional deal with TOP RANK to utilize their ESPN connections to further increase Fury's recognizability in the United States, as well as his finances.

Though many speculated fights with Kubrat Pulev, Dillian Whyte, and others the opponent chosen for Fury's 29th outing was the unheard of Tom Schwarz an undefeated 6'5" German with a WBO #2 rating who holds the WBO Intercontinental title.

Though the fight has gotten the big stink eye from a large portion of the boxing public, in the wake of Anthony Joshua losing by massive upset to Andy Ruiz there's always that possibility no matter how unlikely someone can beat you.

As of this writing Fury is supposed to have another fight in September and one more in December. No word on who those opponents possibly could be--- though the Wilder rematch is said to take place in 2020 as well as a potential rubber match.

[HomicideHenry]

Fury, after the Wilder fight, would fight Tom Schwarz next. Despite the German's high ranking in the WBO, it was clear this was nothing more than a stay-busy excercise. Fury stopped him in the 2nd round.



Following the one-sided blowout of Schwarz the lineal champion fought yet another dubious opponent in Otto Wallin. The tough Swede was figured to be a pushover, but early on in the fight Fury received a bad cut. That being said, Fury easily won the contest one-eyed.



Because of the uniqueness of Fury being cut like this, it made many people believe that he was "passed it". Even Deontay Wilder commented on the performance saying that nobody is the same after fighting him.

The most likely and reasonable explanation for the performance was the fact that Fury grew complacent facing these lesser opponents, not training as hard, and of course the fact that trainer Ben Davison's cardiovascular training and methods of non-stop repetition made Fury grow stale. In less than a year Davison went from something of a hero to a detriment to the career of Fury.

As John Fury said, "Ben Davison's a cheerleader, not a real trainer." This prompted Fury to drop Davison and pick Sugar Hill as his new trainer. Fury had previously worked with him when Fury joined Klitschko's training camp at the Kronk Gym when Emmanuel Stewart was alive.



The buildup to the Fury/Wilder rematch was pretty good, and maybe the most memorable moment was when David Haye refused to take a £50,000 bet with John Fury. Quite the ironic thing considering Wilder was Haye's former sparring partner and publicly (until that point) Haye was adamant that Wilder would kayo Fury.



To the surprise of many Fury came in heavier than he was the first time. This made people assume that Fury would lose the contest. According to Fury he was going to go straight at Wilder and knock him out in three rounds. Virtually nobody in the boxing world actually believed he would do that. Wilder himself came in nearly 20 pounds heavier than the first time, and most assumed that would only benefit him.



To the surprise of many people, Wilder virtually from the start was beaten to the punch and beaten from pillar to post. In the third round Wilder hit the deck, and would hit the canvas again and again. The "Kronk Style" worked for Fury, and Wilder's chief cornerman threw in the towel in the 7th round.

I think, retrospectively, had Fury fought Wladimir Klitschko the way he fought Wilder in the rematch there is little doubt that Fury would've knocked out him out. However, Fury at the time had the same mentality as Wilt Chamberlain to demonstrate that he wasn't just some big goon but rather an athletic giant who could be just as good defensively as he was offensively so he opted to do what nobody else could and that was to out-box Klitschko.



As always, Fury gave all the praise and the honor and the glory to Jesus Christ Almighty God and then sang to the crowd which was Don McLean's American Pie. This fight made Fury 2x heavyweight champion of the world, and later on he'd become the first British fighter to win RING MAGAZINE's FOTY twice. He'd also join Muhammad Ali and Lennox Lewis as the only heavyweights to be RING MAGAZINE champion more than once.

Bizarrely in the aftermath, Wilder would claim that his costume weakened his legs. He would also give a litany of excuses, claiming that not only did Fury manipulate his gloves but that Wilder's own cornerman was in collusion with Team Fury and tainted his water.

A rubber match was scheduled, but Wilder ran out the contract, only for Wilder to take Fury to litigation after the fact blaming Covid-19 for the contract not being fulfilled. Fury currently is in negotiations to fight IBF/WBO/WBA champion Anthony Joshua in a megafight that everybody has been wanting to see for years.

Whether that happens first, or whether team Wilder will win litigation and force the rubber match, the heavyweight division is really starting to be very exciting and interesting.

Jesus Christ Almighty God bless you all

[DrDuke]

I think, retrospectively, had Fury fought Wladimir Klitschko the way he fought Wilder in the rematch there is little doubt that Fury would've knocked out him out.

Fury would get to Wlad's shaky chin quite fast, if he would have put the Wilder II style on Wlad.

[HomicideHenry]

Update to Thread:

Fury was scheduled to face off against unified champion Anthony Joshua in Saudi Arabia although no date was ever announced, but this was prevented because Deontay Wilder won an arbitration case forcing a rubber match with Tyson Fury.

Many have speculated, however, that the match with Joshua was never going to happen anyways because Bob Arum had a stadium in Las Vegas secured for several months for a July 24th date; that it was always known that Wilder had the legal standing all along.

Anthony Joshua, therefore, is scheduled to face former cruiserweight champion Usyk on the 25th of September.

The January 24th date (Fury/Wilder III) has been moved to October after it was announced that Tyson Fury had covid-19. Unfortunately, social media pictures surfaced of Fury out in public with the fans and this caused public opinion to shifted against Fury and his popularity has taken a hit.

However this is not the first time that public opinion has shifted for or against Fury. He is still listed on BoxRec as the #1 heavyweight, and one may make an argument that another win over Wilder will be "better" than Joshua's win (if he wins) against Usyk because the Ukrainians performance against Chisora was not all that great.

[Bodyshot3]

Nice work HH

Looking back on this I think the fights with John McDermott were very useful for Tyson......

.........John was never going to set the world heavyweight scene on fire himself but it was good that Tyson got a proper nuisance/stumbling block to handle in his 8th and 11th pro fight and realised that he could not do as he pleased.

John was a cussed sod, stuck to Tyson's chest and made him earn his wins,

The slugger Rogan and Chisora did their job as well.

[HomicideHenry]

Thanks

I think what people perceived, initially, in Fury was a goon who was going to lose sooner or later on the basis of McDermott and Chisora and Cunningham. Of course, such attitudes ignored the fact that Fury was constantly improving.

The criticism he received and still receives from time to time reminds me of those who would look at Klitschko getting knocked out by Brewster, and think he was a synch completely ignoring the fact that improvements had been made long since those losses.

Since his debut he's had at least four or five style changes--- some more subtle than others, but the changes are quite evident when looking back.

Maybe the main reason why Fury is as good as he is is simply because unlike many heavyweights currently out there he was forced to dig down deep in fights, and was forced into improving because he was plateauing at different times.

Throw in the emotional/mental struggles he's overcome, and the amazing transformation of going from nearly 400 pounds to heavyweight champion of the world again--- you have a man whose faith in Jesus and himself is such that his determination is virtually impossible to damper one iota.

All the ups and downs created a high IQ, awkward, skillful, ring general who is quite unpredictable. Just when you think you have Fury figured out as a fighter he adds on another dimension.