28/11/2015
- Ok, I simply cannot resist tipping this one any longer. I held off when this was originally scheduled for October and the odds were 5.0. I held off when the new odds of 5.5 were released when the fight was rescheduled. Now the odds at Marathonbet have gotten silly. 6.2 for Fury to win? The average across the board is 4.0 so we're in effect getting odds of 2.2 for free.
- As it happens, I give Fury a good chance at the upset regardless of the odds. He's young, he's tall and rangy, has an engine, heart, belief, can switch hit. Sure, Wlad is the rightful favourite, but this is a real fight. I don't see Wlad being able to bore us to tears with a jab and grab fest. Will he even be physically able to push down on Fury who stands at 6"9? At some point he's going to have to fight and at some point he's going to get hit. How will he react?
- Fury will be in the shape of his life. Wlad postponed the original fight with complaints of a calf injury. I don't buy that for a second. I think he felt he needed more time to prepare as he views Fury as a serious threat. He wants to shut the mouth of the irrepressible man from Manchester.
- Fury knows he's unlikely to receive any favours from the judges in Germany, so he'll be going all out for the knockout. At times, the chin of Fury has been questioned. Although he's been decked a couple of times before, he's never seemed particularly shaken to me. I remember he took an overhand right from Chisora in their first fight that had everything behind it and he took it well.
- Fury is unpredictable. This will be the thing Wlad is most concerned about. He likes to be in control and have his game plan figured out to the last letter. He won't know what's going to happen on fight night, which could make things very uncomfortable for him. He's used to jab, jab, jabbing his smaller opponents. He will be the smaller man in this fight. He should get hit more often than he has in years. He's 39 years old now and has had things his own way for so long. The older you get, the more resistant you are to change. He'll have to adapt in this one.
- Wlad doesn't throw bodyshots. He hasn't needed to, but clearly doesn't feel comfortable doing it. Throwing a body shot means getting close to your opponent. Something Wlad hates to do. He doesn't like to take risks. Fury does and will. He will hit anything and everything that presents itself. I think it could get a bit ugly in there. Wlad doesn't like the rough stuff. This favours Fury.
- Fury doesn't lack self belief. He's coming to win and truly believes he will rid the world of 'boring Klitschko'. His words, not mine. I just happen to agree!