Browne Vs Towers - Heavyweight Commonwealth Eliminator.

"Big Daddy" Vs "The Inferno" - 2nd November, Hull.

Richard Towers - Lucas Browne

Next Saturday will hopefully be 3rd time lucky for both Browne and Towers to fight for the chance to face David Price for his Commonwealth Title, with this fight having been postponed twice before, it is a fight I am very much looking forward too.

6′ 4″ Browne brings a record of 17 fights, 17 wins, 15 by KO and is currently ranked 15th by the WBC. His last fight was in July against Travis Walker, a fight that Lucas won in the 7th after dropping Walker 3 times, however he was dropped himself in the first round.

6′ 8″  Towers has a record of 14 fights, 14 wins, 11by KO and is the former EBU- EU heavyweight champ. His last fight was against Tony Gregory for that belt back in June 2012. Many think that ringrust will play an issue with Richard having been out of the ring for so long, however having been busy as a sparring partner with both Wladimir Klitschko and David Haye, I'm not sure that will be a major problem.

Outside the ring both Lucas and Richard are good friends and have sparred several times with each other, however come fight night that will be put to one side as they fight to get that shot at Price. Lucas had this to say to V2Boxing about the bout - “Towers was a complete gentleman when I was last here and we got along very well. I don't want to be fighting Towers but we both understand it has to be done and this is the sport we have chosen. We sparred a few times and I'm sure we have both taken something from those exchanges, but in saying that, it was a while ago now and I know I've improved ten fold from then so it will be interesting. I'm pumped to finally get this fight because I want the Commonwealth title. I don't really care where the fight is, as long as I get a chance to fight for the belt and get a chance to show the world what I can do. I've got a decent following over here and I'm very thankful to the UK fans for getting behind me like they have. When it comes to fight time it doesn't matter where I am, I'm there to do what I do best”.

Matt Clarke (Browne's manager) had this to say to Hatton Promotions, (Ricky Hatton is the promotor for both fighters) - "It certainly is third time lucky, I believe we're going to see a career best performance from Lucas. He's preparing extremely well, without any distractions and he's ready for this next step. His fan base in the UK and Ireland is growing rapidly and a good performance here might see him face defending Commonwealth champion David Price in his next bout."

Richard Towers is certainly looking forward to the fight saying - "I have been hanging in limbo since the Australia fight was called off. I was supposed to fight Johann Duhaupas and that didn't happen so I'm excited about the fight with Lucas being on again. I don't want to slag Lucas off because he's a good guy and I consider him a friend but I think he is getting carried away with the stars a little  because he's banging these guys out"

Whether the winner of this fight will actually face David Price in 2014 for the title is very much up for debate and we will have to wait to see what Price's next move is going to be.

This is certainly going to be an interesting fight and is a clash of styles. Browne goes forward at every opportunity, whilst Towers, likes to use his reach to keep others at bay. With a 4" height advantage Towers is going to attempt to use his reach and his jab to keep the big hitting Lucas at bay, however I feel if Lucas can get inside and work to the body he will get some great success, eventually he'll get to the chin of Towers and that will be that. 

So yes, whilst this is a tight fight on paper I believe that Lucas will have too much power for Towers and whilst the loser of this fight will have a tricky road back it certainly won't be the end of the road, not yet...

I wish them both well.

Tyson Fury - Keeping Himself In The Public's Eye.

Love or Loathe him everyone has an opinion on Tyson Fury.

Fury - The king of twitter

Tyson Fury has a habit of dividing opinion in the boxing world. Last night he perhaps went a little too far tweeting - @Tyson_Fury: I'd would of loved to smash Lenox Lewis if he was around now!!

This caused a lot of reaction within twitter with some calling Fury very stupid and that he should have some respect for one the best heavyweights of all time, others were not so polite.

Never one to duck out of a twitter row, Tyson came back with this - @Tyson_Fury: Lennox could not recover after he was hurt. That why all his losses were by KO!

A further barage of abuse was sent Fury's way, each response being batted away by Fury.

Lewis's response was quite short and to the point - @LennoxLewis ☑Gold Medal ☑British ☑European ☑Commonwealth ☑WBC ☑Lineal ☑WBA ☑IBF ☑IBO ☑Ring ☑Undisputed ☑Boxing Hall of Fame

The record of Lennox Lewis speaks for itself and Fury was "clever" choosing Lewis to have a pop at, having previously used MMA fighters, David Haye, Deontay Wilder and others to keep himself in the headlines. 

With a quarter of a million people following Lewis, Fury has guaranteed a lot of exposure, even if it is just on twitter, all publicity is good publicity and has resulted in people such as myself in writing about him!

Haye's brush with the Fury charm wagon on twitter was a few days ago - @Tyson_Fury If David haye takes this fight ill make him f**k his self! 100% getting it ill make him quit like the bitch he is! 

Some people give haye a punchers chance I give him no chance he has a haymaker I have the pay master & play maker! Haye is getting smashed

Fury is hoping to fight David Haye in September this year and whilst some of his episodes on twitter may be frowned on, he will keep himself and subsequently, Haye in the media and this will make money.

Money is, after all, what makes the world go around.

I wish Tyson well...

Exclusive - Ian Lewison Q&A.

Exclusive - Ian Lewison Q&A.

Lewison Vs Ruzsinszky

Ian "Lay Em Out" Lewison is the 31 year old heavyweight boxer from Brixton, South London. He had a successful career as an amateur, beating both Helenius and Solis, finishing his AM career with a record of 67 wins and 5 losses.

Ian has had 10 pro fights, 7 wins (4 by KO), 2 losses and 1 draw. His last fight was in the semi final of Prizefighter and his next fight is a rematch with Colin Kenna on 13th July.

I was lucky enough to be able to ask Ian some questions lately and here are his answers...

1. With some time passed now since Prizefighter, how would you rate your performance? 

I feel in prize fighter I fought well but looking back I think in the second fight I was convinced I was well ahead on points so I went into the 3rd round and was saving myself for the final. 

2. What do you think you can learn from your next opponent,  Colin Kenna? Is he a stepping stone upwards or is it a case of righting a wrong from your 6th fight?

I don't think I can learn anything from Kenna, I just want to inflect pain on him.
 

3. What is the plan going forward? For example where do you expect to be career wise in 2 years time?

The plan moving forward is to get 10 rounds fights under my belt so I will be able to fight for major titles, in 2 years I would like to be world champion defending my titles.
 

4. You don't generate the same headlines as Price, Tyson Fury or Haye, whilst Hughie Fury has only had 5 fights yet is being hailed by some as the next big superstar. Does this generate any resentment for you? 

Hughie is  getting headlines right now on the back of Tyson. I think he's good but we will never know till his opposition is better, about him saying he wants to be youngest heavy weight champion I think it's to keep his name in the headlines, no resentment from me towards them they have a good P.R team behind them,they can only beat what's there and there doing that even though there being under matched. 

5. Who, in your opinion are the top 5 HWs in the world at the moment?

1 Wlad Klitchko

2 David Haye 

3 Vit Klitchko

4 Tomasz Adamek

5 not sure about  
 

6. You had a fairly successful amateur career beating both Helenius and Solis. Do you think you're pro career is falling short of the standard you set in the ams so far?

My pro career got off to a slow start it is starting to build up momentum now, in the start I had lots of injury's and was inactive I will reach the heights of the pro ranks within 2 years. 

7. Who wins Haye or Fury?

Haye wins by knockout within 5 rounds brutal knockout.

8. Who or what is your inspiration to keep going? Do you have any boxing "heroes"?

My inspiration is willing and being able to give my kids nice things.

9. If you weren't a boxer what would you be?

I would be a business man I love doing business.

10. Do you have any messages for your fans? Or for those that may not be so familiar with you?
To everyone that has watched me and enjoyed the excitement I bring, stay tuned to my facebook fan page and twitter for all the latest news  and developments.

Thanks for all your support in the past and continued support I put my body throw all the pain to give the fans excitement. 

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Ian for his time and I would urge you to follow him and his career, I wish Ian well...

Audley Harrison – Inspirational or Delusional?

Audley Harrison – Inspirational or Delusional?

Harrison

Harrison is the fighter who never seems to know when to give up. After his defeat to David Price 99% of people said he should retire. The only person who said no was Audley himself. He believes in himself and in his ability, he believes it is his destiny to be world champion.

He saw the latest heavyweight prizefighter show as a stepping stone back onto the road he has tried to follow many times before. Whilst others laughed, sighed and pointed at him his single minded determination resulted in him actually winning the event for the second time. 

He is now lined up to fight Deontay Wilder on Amir Khan’s undercard on 27^th April in Sheffield. Wilder is the great hope from the USA with a record of 27 fight, 27 wins, 27 KOs!!

Wilder

During his pro career whenever it looked like he might have found some belief to go with his undoubted ability he would fall again and would then have to face a torrent of questioning whether he really was any good. For example beating Danny Williams in Sept 2006, but then being beaten by Michael Sprott in his next fight by TKO.

He tried to scale many hills and mountains but always slipped, stumbled and fell before he got to the summit, yet he keeps getting up and trying again…

23 KOs from 31 wins shows that Audley had the power and skill to beat any opponent in front of him on his day, BUT,  6 losses, 4 of which were to Sprott, Williams, Rogan and Guinn show that he lacked the mental ability to go with his boxing skill. At times it looked like he was a rabbit caught in headlights. The 3rd round against David Haye was a classic example of this.

 

Along with prizefighter the highlight of his pro career was winning the European heavyweight title at his second attempt against Michael Sprott.

But he never wrapped a belt around his waist again and may never again – Yet he still believes...

His defeat at the hands of the commonwealth heavyweight, David Price, after 82 seconds should be his last and should also make it clear to Audley himself that he does not have the tools any longer to succeed at the top of the game domestically, never mind European or world level.

Yet Audley still believes.

We should not forget the good that Audley did boxing and the abuse he received before and after the Price fight was, in my opinion scandalous. Had Audley not won Gold at the 2000 Olympics, boxing GB would have scaled back its programme even more and would also have received a lot less  funding, possibly meaning the end of Olympic boxing in the country. 

He always believed he'd win gold.

With no TeamGB there would have been no Khan, Degale, Joshua, Adams, Price, etc, etc learning their trades in the amateurs winning medals at Olympic games. I think people should remember that.

Harrison will go into the fight with Wilder as a big underdog with the bookies, however there are those who think he may beat Wilder. Wilder after all is yet to face anybody in the top 30 in the world even after 27 fights and although he has a great KO record is still not a “name” in America and isn’t showcased on US TV the way Fury and Price are in the UK.

A win for Harrison won’t get him a shot at one of the Klitschkos for a title, but it will put him back in the reckoning. Harrison is an enigma that sells tickets and makes money, whether if it’s from people supporting him or people wanting to see him knocked out his opponents won’t mind. His PR machine will go into overdrive calling for a fight with a genuine top 5 contender, nobody will give him a chance – yet he'll still believe.

I asked the question is Audley Inspirational or Delusional at the beginning. 


Whatever you, I or anybody else thinks, I know what Audley believes…


I wish him well…
 

Edit- Wilder stopped Harrison in 70 seconds of the first round.

 

David Haye - Fighter or Celebrity?

The question Haye must answer...

David Haye - Boxer

David Haye the charismatic, brash, hugely talented boxer has in recent months/weeks/days been calling out Vitali Klitschko for a shot at Vitali's WBC belt, but the question that needs to be asked is Haye still a fighter or is he some C list celebrity that used to be a boxer? 

In the last 18 months Haye has had 2 fights in a ring, a brawl outside it, has spent some time in a jungle reality show but has continued to call out Vitali for a fight.

Let's go into more detail. In July 2011 Haye fought Wladimir Klitschko for his world title belts (WBA, WBO, IBF), but lost a unanimous points after an extremely poor performance (considering the grandstanding before the fight), which he blamed on his toe being broken. Some months later in Feb 2012 Haye turns up at a post fight press conference between Derek Chisora and Vitali Klitschko. He ends up brawling with Chisora (after the initial pre-planed stunt went wrong), and the 2 men start a build up to a domestic fight. In July 2012 a full year after his last fight Haye beats Chisora by TKO in the 5th after a great display of boxing power and precision. Nov 2012 he enters the reality show I'm a Celebrity get me out of here, eventually coming 3rd.

This week Haye has said Vitali has until the end of the summer to agree to fight him or it's all off. What makes him think 2 fights (1 win, 1 loss) in 18 months make him able to call the shots?

Vitali Klitschko

Granted Haye is big business and his stint in the jungle has shown a different side to him and made him known to a much bigger audience, in much the same way Audley Harrison did when appearing on Come Dancing. Haye is also able to put "bums on seats" and could probably sell the fight on PPV himself, however a fighter needs to be active in order to gain a shot doesn't he? Manuel Charr has been busy calling Haye out to fight him with the winner getting a shot at Vitali. Charr has fought Vitali before when he was outclassed and battered by him before being stopped in the 4th round. In order to get a rematch Charr has to fight a "contender" and Haye is currently classed as not only a contender but also big business.

Charr after his 4th rd loss to Vitali

A fight against Charr is the way to go for Haye in my opinion if he is seriuos about his own legacy. Vitali (45-2, 41 KOs), has never been floored and is the owner of the second-highest heavyweight knockout percentage in history (87.76%), so no matter how good he thinks he is, Haye will need a warm up fight, Charr presents such an opportunity. The only other option is to fight Tyson Fury, but I doubt if either fighter would risk a shot at the belt knowing they could quite easily get KO'd by the other.

David Haye - Celebrity

Haye the supremely self confident man that he is will probably keep on calling out Vitali whilst passing judgements on Price, Fury and the rest of the division and also ignoring Charr's challenge.

I asked at the beginning - Is Haye still a fighter or is he some C list celebrity that used to be a boxer? We will see in the coming weeks/months but at the time of writing he was appearing on lunchtime housewives show Loose Women.

Whatever he decides to do, I wish him well...

(EDIT:- David Haye has now signed to fight Tyson Fury on 28th Sept in Manchester - Edit:- he has pulled out of fighting Fury through injury twice)

(Haye's last fight was 12th July 2012.).

My Top 15 Heavyweights In The World - Jan 2013.

My Top 15 Heavyweight Rankings.

1. Wladimir Klitschko

2. Alexander Povetkin

3. Vitali Kiltschko

4. Kubrat Pulev

5. Tomasz Adamek

6. Tyson Fury

7. Robert Helenius

8. Johnathon Banks

9. Denis Boytsov

10. Oldanier Solis

11. David Price

12. Magomed Abdusalamov

13. Tony Grano

14. Steve Cunningham

15. Chris Arreola

I wish them all well in 2013...

Five Heavyweights For 2013.

Big Year For These 5 Heavyweights.

2013 is going to be a big year for boxing in general with some exciting fighters across all weights and classes. Big fights to be made for some big fighters. I've decided to talk about five of the heavyweights I feel will have a big 2013.

Two of them, Tyson Fury and David Price, people will have heard of already, the other 3 however, Lucas Browne, Magomed Abdusalamov and Robert Helenius may not be so familiar to you.

Tyson Fury.

The British born traveller from Manchester has steadily improved himself over his last 4 or 5 fights. In his last two especially Vs Vinny Maddalone (TKO 5th rd) and Kevin Johnson (Unanimous decision), he has shown a real maturity in his boxing style. Where previously he may have gone in swinging wildly when he thought he had a KO in sight he has instead bided his time and been a lot more steady and careful in his approach, drawing the other fighter onto him more, meaning he can use his formidably powerful fists to wear his oppenent down whilst also scoring points. A huge amount of credit needs to be given to his uncle and trainer Peter for this. he has shown Tyson the "errors" and where he could improve and develop and Tyson, to his credit has listened.

At the time of me writing this blog, Tyson is currently being linked with an appearance on Celebrity Big Brother. I sincerely hope this isn't true and is just a ploy by his team to keep him in the headlines. Whilst being on this show wouldn't harm him too much physically, if he was to have one of his infamous rants, would the public turn against him? He is currently a "marmite" sort of boxer and this show could do some damage, although by the same token it will almost certainly enhance his brand immensely with non boxing fans throughout the UK.

Tyson's record is currently 20 fights, 20 wins with 14 by way of KO and he is ranked number 4 in the world by The WBC - (Current Champion is Vitalli Klitschko).  TeamFury are currently hoping to fight in New York on St Patrick's Day (17th March) and Tyson has been linked to a lot of top named fighters. A fight against David Price has been turned down, rightly in my view, as it's too soon for them to fight. Frank Warren wants a 4 man tournament involving Fury, Price, Chisora and Haye, which would make a lot of money for Warren but wouldn't bring much credibility to Fury should he win it. He has already beaten Chisora and Haye is now a C list celebrity. 

So who should Tyson look for in March?

Fury himself wants to fight Vitali for the WBC belt, however with a lot of uncertainty surrounding Vitali's future in boxing now that he's an MP in the Ukraine parliament I think he may retire with his head held high having lost only twice the last time to Lennox Lewis in 2006.

Fury should, in my opinion, try to re-arrange the fight against Denis Boytsov, who pulled out of a fight with Fury late last year, due to not having enough time to train. Boytsov is ranked in the top 15 of all the 4 main federations - WBA, WBC, WBO and IBF and a win against him in New York would really catapult Fury into the big league and the thinking of the world's promoters, managers and TV stations.

A fight then in the summer vs Vitali or perhaps Chris Arreola for the WBC belt would be massive and would also be a fight I think he would win.

Tyson Fury - World Champion? Not as far fetched as it seemed some 12 months back.

I wish Tyson well...

David Price.

Price the passionate Liverpudlian has been steadily moving through ex-contenders as he tried to continue his boxing education. However, I wonder what exactly he learnt from knocking Audley Harrison out in 82 seconds or stopping Matt Skelton in the 2nd round? I really can't think of anything that was learned. All that happened was that his power and precision was again underlined, but it is time in my opinion to really step up in class, much the same way his nemesis Tyson Fury has done in recent fights.

Price has a record of 15 fights, 15 wins, with 13 by KO and is currently ranked 9th by the WBC. His next fight is against the very experienced Tony Thompson on 23rd Feb in Liverpool. Thompson is another ex-contender, but with a very good record, something Price's last two opponents have very much lacked. Thompson has a record 39 fights, 36 wins, 24 by KO and 3 losses. His first loss came over points in his 5th fight whilst his other two defeats have come against "The Man", Wladimir Klitschko. He lost to an 11th round KO in 2008 and then in his last fight he lost to a 6th round TKO. Thompson has a very good KO record and will stretch Price further than any other fighter has done in the ring with Price to date.

I expect Price to win by a late stoppage. His power and precision being too much for Thompson. The next move after Thompson is vital in Price's journey towards a world title shot and I'm sure Frank Maloney has thought long and hard about who, when and where will be next.

I know that Team Price think very highly of Kubrat Pulev and would like a fight against him. This would in my opinion make a great match up. Pulev is currently ranked 4th by the WBC. A fight with Pulev in the summer with a shot at the title for the winner in the autumn is not a long shot. With Frand Maloney's contacts and respect (having been Lennox Lewis' manager), within boxing I could see Price fighting for the title in late Nov 2013.

A world title shot for David Price against Tyson Fury in his first defence? - It would not surprise me at all.

I wish David well...

Robert Helenius.

The Nordic Nightmare from Sweden is seen by many boxing commentators as the "next big thing" and is the No1 challenger for the WBO belt, currently held by Wladimir Klitschko, he is also ranked no6 in The Ring Magazine's amalgamated rankings. 

He has been in the ring with some very experienced fighters having KO'd 3 former world champions. His win over Derek Chisora however, was deemed a "gift" and a shocking decision by many, myself included. It turned out that Helenius had a bad shoulder injury as well as hurting both hands during the fight with Chisora, which may have led to his "poor" performance. Following surgery he fought again almost 12 months later against journeyman Sherman Williams  and was again very poor, being staggered on several occasions by Williams. Helenius seems to have lost a lot of power in both his fists too.

2013 is a massive year for Helenius and one which will either see him living up top the hype or one in which he becomes an also-ran, who is mentioned in dispatches such as Chisora is currently. He is rumoured to be fighting Michael Sprott at the end of March, who is another journeyman but is a big step up from Williamson. 

It is imperative that Helenius takes it "easy" in his next couple of fights after his long lay off, but he will be left behind in the division if he doesn't keep busy and steps it up after Sprott, if he wins. It is no certainty that he will beat Sprott. Sprott has had a chequered boxing career, but beat the highly rated 24 year old Edmund Gerber in his last fight by unanimous decision. If Helenius has really lost all his power, especially in his right, then he will struggle against the durable Sprott.

Should he beat Sprott what next? 

He will have to keep busy and step it up. A fight against Tony Grano or Odlanier Solis or similiar will have to happen.

Will Helenius live up to the hype and become world champ? - Not in 2013 I don't think.

However, I wish Robert well...

Magomed Abdusalamov.

The big Russian living in California is perhaps a new name to many non boxing fans. He is seen by an ever increasing amount of boxing "experts" as the next heavyweight to take the world by storm in a similar way to Mike Tyson, with his power and style.

His management certainly think he is going places and recently offered a "1 dollar" fight to anyone in the top 15 on the WBC rankings to fight Mago, unsurprisingly nobody took up the offer.

"Mago" has a record of 16 fights, 16 wins, ALL by KO, he is currently ranked 10th by the WBC and is the US Heavyweight Champion. He is interested only in fighting and doesn't court the media as well as he might. His last fight was against the former IBF world title challenger Jameel McCline and his speed, skill and ferocious left mean the south paw is certainly heading towards the top.

What lays ahead for him in 2013? Well, it will be difficult. With the power of the Klitschkos on the wane and the possible prospect of retirement for at least one of them, the pack are very careful who they agree to fight. Mago is a dangerous opponent to anyone who steps into the ring with him and he could end or at best, seriously derail many careers. 

A fight against Jovo Pudar, who is the Pan Asian Champion and rated 7th by the WBA would be a good stepping stone for Mago and would provide a spring board to get himself in and around the title shots towards the end of 2013.

Title shot for Magomed Abdusalamov in 2013? - I very much hope so, although the powers that be may conspire against this powerful and talented young boxer.

I wish Mago well...

Lucas Browne.

Big Daddy Browne is the Australian with a future as big as his punch. Seen by many as an also ran within his own country and another who will fail to make the crossover from MMA to boxing., he is seen by others however, myself included as a massive, massive talent.

Lucas was due to fight Richard Towers in his last fight in an eliminator to fight for The Commonwealth Title, currently held by David Price. Towers had to pull out with a perforated ear drum sustained in training for the fight and Jason Gavern was brought in as a late replacement. Gavern had previusoly gone the distance with both Steve Cunnigham and Johnathon Banks, but was felled by Browne four times in 3 rounds before the ref stopped the fight.

Browne's record is 14 fights, 14 wins, 13 by KO and is promoted by Hatton Promotions, set up be Ricky Hatton and will be the big star of this stable.  He is not yet ranked in the top 15 of either of the 4 main federations, but I fully expect this to change this year. The problem is that Lucas isn't busy enough in my view. He needs to have more fights this year, than the 3 he had last year.

Browne is currently being lined up for a fight with the Samoan Alex "The Lionheart" Leapai, a fight which seems to split opinion in the southern hemisphere for some reason. Browne has far too much power for Leapai who was stopped by Kevin Johnson in the fight before last. The fight looks likely for April, although I would hope this can be pulled forward to March, with other fights in June, September and early December.

Once Lucas has dispatched Leapai he needs to re-arrange the fight with Towers (ranked 14th by the WBC), with a top 10 fight for autumn and perhaps, just perhaps a title shot for December 2013.

Will the biggest outsider of my 5 have a shot at the title in 2013? He has the power and the "look", he now just needs the media exposure. I sincerely hope he gets his shot.

I wish Lucas well.

So that is my view of 5 top heavyweights, who will all have, for slightly differing reasons a big 2013. There are so many other heavyweights out there and the division is certainly not dead, despite what some experts may wish to tell you. One punch could change the whole landscape of the heavyweights and that is why it continues to be one of my favourite weight classes.

I wish you all well for 2013...

Tyson Fury Vs Denis Boytsov - A Big Fight For Fury To Take.

This fight has since been called off, I await with baited breath who the replacement will be.

http://murmuringsofaboxingmad-man.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/tyson-fury-vs-kevin-johnson.html


Tyson Fury Vs Denis Boytsov - WBC Title Eliminator.

On 1st December Belfast's Odyssey Arena will host a WBC world title eliminator for the right to have a shot at Vitali Klitschko's belt by becoming the mandatory challenger.

Tyson Fury

The 2 fighters are Tyson Fury (ranked 4 by the WBC) and Denis Boytsov (ranked 3rd). A very dangerous fight for both fighters who both bring undefeated records into the ring with them. 

Denis Boystov

Fury goes into this fight with a record of 19 fights, 19 wins with 14 KOs. He was Irish Heavyweight title holder and was also Heavyweight Commonwealth and British title holder. Belts he gave up to "pursue" his world title challenge. Others, myself included, believed it was because he didn't want to fight the mandatory challenger David Price, especially when his two fights since have been against the likes of Martin Rogan and Vinny Maddalone. Both durable journeymen, but not world level fighters. Fury received some harsh criticism for this but it since appears that TV might have had a hand in Price and Fury not getting it on. A fight between these 2 is one to look forward to in the future.

Boytsov goes into this fight having had 31 fights, 31 wins with 25 KOs. On paper a vastly impressive record and one which has drawn comparisons with another Tyson, Mike. However, on closer inspection the record looks ever so slightly manufactured, take his last two oppenents. Dominick Guinn had lost 8 fights before facing Boytsov, in fact his last 2 fights before Boytsov were both losses. Darnell Wilson had lost 8 of his last 10 fights before fighting Boytsov, so not as explosive as thought. However as the old say goes, you can only beat what's in front of you...

My personal opinion is that Fury's record is vastly superior than Boytsov's even though he has had 12 fights less. Chisora, Firtha & Pajkic are better than any of the fighters that Boytsov has fought. Both fighters have fought Maddalone, Fury winning by TKO in the 5th, whilst Boytsov was taken to points over 8 rounds.

Vitali Klitschko WBC Champion

How will the fight pan out? Well, even with a manufactured record anybody with a KO percentage of 80% after 31 fights needs to be shown some respect. My call would be a Fury win late, around rounds 7 or 8.

This is a genuine meaningful fight for Fury, although I have been a big critic of his, I wish him well...