Will Tyson Fury Be Next For Wladimir Klitschko?

The first encounter between then rising Heavyweight prospects Tyson Fury and Dereck Chisora established both fighters as players in the Heavyweight division. Although the undefeated Tyson Fury clearly won the first encounter between himself and Chisora, there was significant interest/anticipation for the rematch between the two now top Heavyweight contenders.

Prior to the rematch between Fury and Chisora, I stated that from a stylistic standpoint that this fight could have been expected to be fought in much of the same way that the first fight between the two was fought. The question that I had prior to this rematch was whether or not Chisora would be able to let his hands go more consistently than had been the case in the first fight. Although Chisora was able to have periodic success in the first encounter, he was not able to keep a consistent offensive rhythm throughout the fight and Fury was able to outwork him and box his way to a convincing twelve round unanimous decision. It would be up to Chisora to change the landscape of how the rematch would be fought.

The second encounter between the two however, was more or less a continuation from where the first fight in 2011 had left off when the two met on November 29th at the ExCel Center in London, England. Fury using his 6’9 height and 85” reach to keep the  6’1 ½ Chisora at distance and unable to land anything significant. Fury’s longer reach and combination punching were the story of this fight as he easily dictated how the fight would be fought and frankly administered a beating to Chisora. The fight did not live up to the anticipation that some had leading up to it. This was due to Fury’s fight plan in using his lateral movement to control distance and tying Chisora up whenever Chisora would get close.

Although it may not have been the most entertaining fight to watch, from a Boxing standpoint Fury fought a near perfect fight against a shorter opponent in not allowing that opponent to be able to get into a position where he could potentially be effective. The one-sided contest was stopped by Chisora’s corner after the conclusion of the tenth round giving Fury his second victory over Chisora and the twenty third victory of his career in as many fights. The win for Fury also won him the British and European Heavyweight championships and now puts him as the number one contender in the World Boxing Organization’s (WBO) Heavyweight ratings and in line to challenge unified IBF/WBA/WBO/IBO Heavyweight world champion Wladimir Klitschko.

The question that some may be wondering coming out of this fight is whether or not Fury will be the next challenger for Klitschko. Klitschko, as readers may recall has spent the last year fulfilling his mandatory title defense obligations defeating each of the top contenders in the WBA, IBF, and WBO Heavyweight ratings defeating Alexander Povetkin, Alex Leapai, and most recently Kubrat Pulev who he knocked out in five rounds on November 15th in what was Klitschko’s seventeenth successful title defense.

Some readers may recall this observer stating after Klitschko’s knockout of Pulev that one option for Klitschko would be for him to face the winner of the rematch between Fury and Chisora. Although Klitschko has for the moment fulfilled his mandatory obligations with no current mandatory challengers in either the World Boxing Association (WBA) or the International Boxing Organization (IBO) respective Heavyweight ratings and thus would theoretically allow Klitschko to make an elective defense against a top contender of his choosing, this observer believes that a fight between Klitschko and Fury makes the most sense as 2015 approaches.

As I discussed following Klitschko’s knockout of Kubrat Pulev, there are other options that are available for Klitschko if he decides to not make another mandatory title defense right away.  Possible fights against the likes of former WBA Heavyweight world champion Ruslan Chagaev, who currently holds interim/regular champion status in the WBA’s ratings, but has not been designated as the WBA’s mandatory challenger for Klitschko as of this writing, top contender Bryant Jennings, who is currently in line to face the winner of the potential fight between WBC world champion Bermane Stiverne and current WBC mandatory challenger Deontay Wilder, and finally current IBF number two rated contender Vyacheslav Glazkov could all be potential options.

In this observer’s opinion however, with only one current mandatory challenger and much of the rest of the Heavyweight division in limbo as the end of 2014 approaches, Tyson Fury should be next in line for Klitschko in what would be Klitschko’s eighteenth championship defense. It will be interesting to if Klitschko-Fury will be made for some time in early 2015.

As for Dereck Chisora, it will also be interesting to see where he goes following his second loss to Tyson Fury. Although Chisora was dominated in both fights against a much bigger man, Chisora is still a contender in the Heavyweight division and could be a potential opponent for any of the contenders in the division who are looking to position themselves in line for potential title shots.

An issue for Chisora and really any Heavyweight who does not have the benefit of height and long reach in the current era of the division will be having to face fighters who are taller, bigger, and enjoy a reach advantage over them. Chisora has experienced this twice in fights against Tyson Fury and although he was quite “Game” also in his fight with Vitali Klitschko. In the case of his fights with Fury as well as his fight with Klitschko, the Boxing physics were not in Chisora’s favor and if Chisora is going to remain a player in the Heavyweight division, he will need to find an answer that will allow him to effectively compete with fighters who are much bigger than him. Chisora does have punching power and has shown, despite losing five of his twenty-five professional fights that he can give most in the division a difficult fight and even gave Vitali Klitschko his fair share of difficulty when they fought in 2012. If Chisora cannot find a way to deal with fighters who are much bigger and have a significant reach advantage over him however, his future as a Heavyweight contender may be in question.

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

The Boxing Truth® is a registered trademark of Beau Denison All Rights Reserved.

Follow Beau Denison on Twitter: www.twitter.com/Beau_Denison 

 

Fury-Chisora II: Who Will Earn A Title Shot Against Wladimir Klitschko?

When Heavyweight contenders Tyson Fury and Dereck Chisora met in July 2011 it was to determine the British and Commonwealth Heavyweight championships. At the time both Fury and Chisora were both rising prospects in the Heavyweight division.

 For the first six rounds of the contest both fighters had their share of moments. Fury using his 6’9 frame to keep the 6’1 ½ Chisora on the outside, using his jab to set off combinations. Chisora looking to apply pressure by pushing the bigger man back. Although Chisora threw wide punches, he did have periodic success in landing left hooks and overhand rights. As the fight progressed however, it was Fury’s combination punching and overall greater activity that would win him the fight via a clear twelve round unanimous decision.

Even though the encounter between the two prospects was for the British and Commonwealth Heavyweight titles, the fight did establish both fighters as players in the Heavyweight division as Chisora would go on to challenge Vitali Klitschko for the WBC world championship in February 2012 putting forth a “Game” effort in defeat against one of the two most dominant Heavyweights of this era. Despite suffering losses to Fury, Klitschko, two-division world champion David Haye, and a highly controversial loss to undefeated contender Robert Helenius, Chisora has established himself as a legitimate contender in the Heavyweight division. Since suffering a fifth round knockout loss at the hands of David Haye in July 2012 Chisora has won five straight fights, winning four of those fights by knockout including victories over Malik Scott, Ordrej Pala, and in his last fight former world title challenger Kevin Johnson.

As the encounter between Chisora and Fury established Chisora as a player in the division, so too it did for the undefeated Tyson Fury. Fury has remained unbeaten in the years since his encounter with Chisora winning seven fights and scoring six knockouts against the likes of Vinny Maddalone, Martin Rogan, and former Cruiserweight world champion Steve Cunningham  just to name a few. 

When the two Heavyweights last fought as co-headliners as part of a twinbill at the Copper Box Arena in London, England in February of this year, it was clear that the path to a shot at a world Heavyweight championship for both Fury and Chisora would lead through each other as Fury scored a fourth round knockout over a “Game”, but over matched Joey Abell. Chisora would follow Fury by scoring a one-sided twelve round unanimous decision over Kevin Johnson. 

Following that card earlier this year, this observer stated that a rematch between Fury and Chisora was the logical option for both fighters. The rematch, which was scheduled to take place in July was postponed when Chisora fractured his left hand in his last sparring session prior to the fight taking place. When Fury and Chisora finally meet on Saturday night at the Excel Arena in London, England it will not be just for bragging rights or the European and British Heavyweight titles that will be on the line, but what is also at stake will be the right to challenge unified IBF/WBO/WBA/IBO Heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko in the World Boxing Organization’s (WBO) ratings.

From a stylistic standpoint this fight could be expected to be fought in much of the same way as the first fight was fought between Fury and Chisora. Fury looking to keep Chisora on the outside using his height and 85” reach to his advantage, Chisora looking to close distance and get on the inside of the bigger man. The question that I have in my mind as this fight approaches is whether or not Chisora will be able to let his hands go more consistently this time.

Although Chisora, who weighed 261lbs. for the first fight against Fury was able to have success early in the fight landing power punches, an argument can be made that as the fight went on Chisora’s weight gradually worked against him as he became inconsistent in letting his hands go. It will be interesting to see if Chisora, who weighed 241 ½lbs. at the weigh-in for the rematch with Fury on Friday will be able to have more success in this second encounter. In contrast to Chisora, Fury who weighed in at 264lbs. for the rematch will be looking to use that weight to his advantage by tying the shorter man up and making him unable to let his hands go if Chisora is able to get on the inside as was the case in the first fight.

As was the case the first time around when these two fought, the rematch is a highly anticipated grudge match between two fighters who dislike each other. While this might mean that the two will engage in an entertaining slugfest as some anticipated prior to their first fight, it would not shock me if the rematch like its predecessor goes the distance. Both fighters are known for their punching power and ability to end fights quickly. It is important to remember however, that for both fighters a shot at a world Heavyweight championship is what awaits the winner. The stakes are indeed high and if one fighter approaches this fight looking to score a quick knockout and is not prepared to go the distance it will play into the opponent’s hands.

With much dislike and “Bad Blood” between the fighters and much anticipation for the rematch it will be interesting to see who emerges victorious. The stage is set for the rematch on Saturday night.

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

The Boxing Truth® is a registered trademark of Beau Denison All Rights Reserved.

Follow Beau Denison Twitter: www.twitter.com/Beau_Denison 

 

Pacquiao Dominates Algieri, Is A Fight With Mayweather Next?

The WBO world Welterweight championship fight between WBO champion and future Hall of Famer Manny Pacquiao and undefeated WBO Jr. Welterweight champion Chris Algieri presented an interesting tactical matchup between two world-class fighters. Could Algieri who was able to overcome adversity earlier this year in his fight with Ruslan Provodnikov to win his Jr. Welterweight championship defy the odds once again by dethroning one of the all-time greats in the sport? With some treating this fight as an afterthought, would Manny Pacquiao underestimate Chris Algieri?

All questions were answered when the two champions entered the ring on November 22nd at the Cotai Arena at the Venetian Resort in Macau, China. As I stated prior to this fight the key in my eyes was whether or not Chris Algieri would be able to neutralize Pacquiao’s speed and lateral movement. Although Algieri is a slick boxer with good lateral movement and quick hands in his own right, Pacquiao’s ability use lateral movement and throw punches from multiple angles would pose a challenge that would be difficult for even a highly skilled boxer such as Algieri to overcome.

Despite having an advantage in both height and reach over Pacquiao, Algieri was not able to keep Pacquiao from coming forward. Pacquiao’s ability to come forward and let his hands go in spurts, often landing punches in combination was the story of this fight to a large extent in addition to having an advantage in terms of overall hand speed and lateral movement over Algieri.

Although he could not prevent Pacquiao from being able to cut the ring off, Algieri was successful in being able to use his lateral movement and was occasionally successful in landing straight right hands and left hooks on Pacquiao, but those punches did not have the power to discourage Pacquiao from coming forward. The fight was highlighted by Pacquiao being able to score six knockdowns throughout the course of the fight. The first of the knockdowns came in round two when Algieri slipped on wet canvas in Pacquiao’s corner as Pacquiao came forward with offense. Despite being able to block Pacquiao’s punches in this instance, the slip was ruled a knockdown by Referee Geno Rodriguez.

A left hand from Pacquiao would send Algieri to the canvas for a second time in round six. A follow-up barrage by Pacquiao sent Algieri to the canvas for the third time moments later, although as was the case when Algieri was first knocked down in round two, it seemed that the knockdown was caused by more of a slip than a punch as Algieri once again slipped due to excess water on the canvas in Pacquiao’s corner.

Algieri would be knocked down for the fourth time in the fight by a straight left hand in round nine. This knockdown seemed to be the first in which Algieri was legitimately hurt and another follow-up barrage from Pacquiao caused Algieri to take a knee seconds later for the fifth knockdown of the fight. A combination from Pacquiao knocked Algieri down to the canvas for the sixth time in the fight in round ten.

Despite having endured much adversity during this fight in suffering six knockdowns, Algieri remained quite “Game” and more than proved his mettle by continuing to fight under circumstances where some might have conceded defeat. Although this was ultimately a one-sided contest in favor of Manny Pacquiao who would go on to win a twelve round unanimous decision, winning every round on the scorecards to retain his Welterweight world championship, the courage shown by Chris Algieri should not go unnoticed.

Algieri, who entered the fight against Pacquiao having never lost a fight as a boxer or as a kickboxer and who had registered a combined record of 40-0 not only suffered the first loss of his career, but was also stripped of his WBO Jr. Welterweight world championship. Although it would be understandable for any of Boxing’s respective governing bodies to impose a ruling that would force a world champion to make a decision on whether he or she would relinquish a world title after moving up in weight to capture a world championship.  It will be interesting to see what the WBO’s explanation for it’s decision to strip Algieri of his title. Algieri lost in his attempt to win a Welterweight world championship and could just as easily move back down in weight to the Jr. Welterweight division and resume competing in that weight class. It is also worth noting that there have been some instances throughout Boxing history where a fighter has been allowed to maintain titles in different weight classes simultaneously, most recently Floyd Mayweather who holds the WBC and WBA world championships in both the Welterweight and Jr. Middleweight divisions currently.

The political landscape of the sport notwithstanding and despite suffering the first loss of his career, Chris Algieri is still a force to be reckoned with in either the Jr. Welterweight or Welterweight divisions. Even though some might say that at the end of the day Chris Algieri was outclassed by Manny Pacquiao, he still gave a solid performance in defeat and it was simply a case of an all-time great in Pacquiao besting a world-class fighter in Algieri. It will be interesting to see where Chris Algieri goes from here, but this observer believes that the loss to Pacquiao might ultimately turn out to be a positive for Algieri and that the loss should be looked at as a setback.

As for Manny Pacquiao who successfully defended his WBO Welterweight world championship for the first time since regaining the title earlier this year in his rematch with Timothy Bradley, he proved once again why he is considered one of the best pound for pound fighters in the world with his performance in this fight. There may be some who might be critical in saying that he failed to score a knockout over an outclassed opponent, but this observer will not be one of them.

It is true that Pacquiao was unable to get the knockout win that some may have been expecting prior to this fight, but it was certainly not due to Pacquiao not pressing for a knockout. Although two of the six knockdowns in this fight were questionable due to Algieri slipping on excess water on the canvas in Pacquiao’s corner, one would be hard pressed to find a fight in which six knockdowns were scored against one fighter with no knockdowns going against the opponent where the fight ultimately went the distance. Despite two knockdowns being debatable in this fight, Pacquiao still scored four solid knockdowns and had his opponent hurt throughout the fight. Although some may question why this fight was not stopped by Referee Geno Rodriguez due to Algieri being dropped six times, it does not diminish Pacquiao’s performance in any way.

The question coming out of this fight as has been the case various times throughout the last several years following a Manny Pacquiao victory is whether or not the Boxing world will finally see an encounter between Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather. A fight viewed as a fight between the two best pound for pound fighters in the world. Following his victory over Chris Algieri both Pacquiao and his promoter Bob Arum stated that the fight between Mayweather and Pacquiao has to happen.

An interesting question that may or may not result in this fight being made is whether or not HBO and Showtime, two of the major television networks in the sport and rivals here in the United States will be able to come to an agreement for the fight to be made. This is due to HBO having ties to Manny Pacquiao in televising his fights and Showtime having an agreement with Floyd Mayweather to televise his fights.

Although some would probably see this as a roadblock that would prevent a fight between Mayweather and Pacquiao taking place, both HBO and Showtime have worked together in the past to make a major fight happen. Some may remember back in 2002 when the networks came together in order to make the Heavyweight championship fight between then champion Lennox Lewis, who had ties to HBO and former Heavyweight champion Mike Tyson, who had ties to Showtime, a reality in what was the first jointly produced pay-per-view event by the two networks in history.

The possibility certainly exists that a similar agreement could be made in regard to a fight between Mayweather and Pacquiao being made in what would likely be the most lucrative pay-per-view fight card in history. In this observer’s opinion it will all boil down to whether or not an agreement can be made between the fighters more so than whether or not an agreement can be made between the respective television networks that are involved.

As interest and demand for this fight to happen has increased, decreased, and increased again over the years with seemingly no progress being made to make Mayweather-Pacquiao a reality, there might be some who have given up on the idea of the fight actually happening. The feeling among many is that if a fight between the two is not made that each fighter’s respective legacy could be incomplete.

This observer has been very vocal over the years in saying that everyone involved from the fighters themselves, to the networks, and the promoters owe it to the Boxing fans. The fans who have continued to support not only the fighters themselves, but the sport in general through both good times and bad to make this fight happen. After all, where would Boxing, the networks, the promoters, and the fame and fortune it brings to all involved be without the fans? The answer… non-existent!

There is no doubt that both fighters are future first ballot Hall of Famers and have each had illustrious careers. With Mayweather approaching his thirty-eighth birthday in February 2015 and Pacquiao nearing his thirty-sixth birthday in December and with questions surrounding how long both fighters intend to continue their careers, an argument can be made that time to make this fight a reality might be running out. 

If this fight is not made however, and both fighters ultimately end their respective careers without giving the Boxing world the fight that it has been demanding for much of the last several years, both fighters legacies may indeed have a question mark placed before them when all is said and done. In closing, this observer will again state what he has stated several times over the last several years in regard to the subject of Mayweather-Pacquiao.

It is time for all involved the fighters, the networks, and the promoters to put differences aside and make this fight a reality. For the fans, which is what it’s really all about to begin with.

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

The Boxing Truth® is a registered trademark of Beau Denison All Rights Reserved.

Follow Beau Denison on Twitter: www.twitter.com/Beau_Denison

Will Chris Algieri Spoil A Potential Mayweather-Pacquiao Clash?

On June 14th of this year undefeated Jr. Welterweight contender Chris Algieri, a fighter who was unbeaten in nineteen professional fights entered the ring at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York to challenge WBO Jr. Welterweight champion Ruslan Provodnikov for Provodnikov’s world championship. Despite coming into the fight unbeaten, Algieri was a relative unknown outside of New York where he has garnered a significant following.

It was no surprise to some that Algieri was considered an underdog against Provodnikov, who was considered one of the sport’s hottest rising stars. For those who considered Algieri a non-threat were nearly proven right as Provodnikov knocked Algieri down twice in the first round and caused severe swelling of Algieri’s right eye. Despite two knockdowns going against him and an eye that would eventually swell shut as the fight progressed, Algieri implemented his strategy using lateral movement to be an elusive target for the champion and was consistently able to beat Provodnikov to the punch throughout the fight.

Although Provodnikov landed the harder punches, it was Algieri’s tactical strategy and overall greater activity that resulted in him winning the fight via twelve round split decision to win his first world title as a boxer. Even though Algieri was unknown to many prior to the Provodnikov fight, the win over Provodnikov allowed Algieri to become a two sport world champion after previously winning world titles in the Welterweight and Jr. Middleweight divisions in Kickboxing.

With twenty wins and his first world title in professional Boxing there was little doubt after his win over Provodnikov that Chris Algieri had established himself as a force to be reckoned with. Algieri’s performance in that fight has secured him the opportunity to challenge multi-division world champion Manny Pacquiao in a fight for Pacquiao’s WBO Welterweight world title on Saturday night in Macau, China.

Following Algieri’s win over Provodnikov I stated that Algieri had gone from an underdog to a world champion and his ability to not only overcome adversity, but his impressive performance against Provodnikov would likely establish him as a rising star in the sport. For the recently crowned Jr. Welterweight world champion however, he is once again cast in the role of underdog.

It is after all understandable why many are considering Manny Pacquiao a heavy favorite in this fight. Pacquiao has been on the sport’s marquee stage for much of the last decade, has arguably been Boxing’s biggest star, and sharing that status with multi-division world champion Floyd Mayweather. There continues to be much debate as to whom is the best pound for pound fighter in the world. Between the two however, Floyd Mayweather remains undefeated. 

This however, has changed somewhat as Pacquiao has gone 3-2 in his last five fights, after dropping a highly controversial split decision to Timothy Bradley in June 2012 and suffering a brutal sixth round knockout loss at the hands of archrival Juan Manuel Marquez in December 2012. Pacquiao was able to rebound fighting twice since the loss to Marquez in scoring a convincing twelve round unanimous decisions over Brandon Rios in November of last year, and regaining the WBO Welterweight world championship by defeating Timothy Bradley in April of this year. Although Pacquiao’s status among the sport’s mythical pound for pound ratings is likely a subject of much debate, Pacquiao’s status as a superstar of the sport is still very apparent. Pacquiao now prepares to defend his title against Algieri.

The key to this fight in my eyes will be whether or not Algieri will be able to neutralize the speed and lateral movement of Manny Pacquiao. Even though Algieri is a slick boxer and has good lateral movement and quick hands, Manny Pacquiao is a fighter that has the ability to throw punches from every conceivable angle and also has shown that he can throw punches in anticipation of where his opponent will move. This along with his speed and quickness has made Pacquiao an extremely difficult opponent.

It is important to remember however, that as overwhelming and difficult to combat as Pacquiao has been throughout much of his career, he has also been hit. This was demonstrated in Pacquiao’s fourth fight with Juan Manuel Marquez. In a fight where Pacquiao seemed to have Marquez in trouble, it was Marquez who brought the fight to a sudden and dramatic conclusion in closing seconds of the sixth round. Pacquiao appeared to be potentially going in for the finish only to be stopped by a sudden and flush right hand by Marquez knocking him out cold on the canvas. While some may have the opinion that Marquez hit Pacquiao with a “Lucky” punch, it was in actuality a perfectly timed punch by a highly skilled boxer who simply was able to capitalize on an opening that his opponent left him.

Although Algieri has only eight knockouts in his twenty wins, he is a world-class boxer. It will be interesting to see if he takes the role of counterpuncher in this fight and looks to capitalize on openings that Pacquiao might leave him before letting his hands go, or if Algieri will use his 5’10 height and seventy-two inch reach and attempt to keep the 5’6 1/2 Pacquiao who has a sixty-seven inch reach on the outside. This has proven to be a difficult task to accomplish for previous Pacquiao opponents who were naturally bigger and had longer reach.

It will however, be of equal interest to see whether Pacquiao, who has not scored a knockout since stopping current WBC Middleweight world champion Miguel Cotto for his first WBO Welterweight world championship in 2009 will be looking to end this fight quickly. Pacquiao may be thinking that Algieri having only stopped eight of his twenty previous opponents does not have the power to hurt him. One must always remember that anything can happen and Pacquiao should not take unnecessary chances.

What may be of more interest than either fighter’s respective fight plans for this fight could be the potential of a fight with Floyd Mayweather for Pacquiao should he retain his title on Saturday night. Although there may be renewed interest in the potential clash between Mayweather and Pacquiao, which has been speculated for several years, the fighter who will stand across the ring from Pacquiao on Saturday night in Chris Algieri is a fighter who has never lost a fight in either Kickboxing or Boxing and who has a combined record of 40-0.

Despite the opinion of many that Chris Algieri is an underdog heading into this fight, it is not a position that he is unfamiliar being in. With the seemingly renewed interest in a Mayweather-Pacquiao clash and with some treating this fight as a mere afterthought, all Chris Algieri has to focus on is this fight and if Pacquiao and those around him have somehow underestimated him, it could have severe consequences as to any potential fight with Floyd Mayweather as well as the financial incentives that would come with a fight of that magnitude.

The eyes of the Boxing world now turn to Macau, China where Pacquiao will defend his WBO Welterweight world championship against WBO Jr. Welterweight world champion Chris Algieri. We will see what happens on Saturday night.

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

The Boxing Truth® is a registered trademark of Beau Denison All Rights Reserved.

Follow Beau Denison on Twitter: www.twitter.com/Beau_Denison