Tyson Luke Fury (born 12 August 1988) is an English professional boxer. He is the current WBC heavyweight
Champion, and an undefeated two time champion.. Standing at 6’9 and loaded with 273 lbs of deceptively quick , yet rotund mass, Tyson Fury has spent the better part of 15 years outclassing his opposition. Often touted as the best heavyweight of the current generation, it leaves the obvious question. How would the best of today fare against the best of all time? Luckily for you, some devilishly handsome genius with a plethora of personality and boxing knowledge is at your service.
Vs. Joe Frazier
Joe Frazier stood 5’11 and weighed 205 lbs in his prime. Tyson Fury owns a 10 inch height advantage at 6’9 and almost 70 lbs at 273 lbs . Despite these differences, their defensive strategies are quite similar. Both men employed use of the shoulder roll, slipping punches and weaving. Blocking is an secondary function of contact can’t be avoided altogether. For Joe Frazier, his defense was a means to generate offense. Generally being shorter than his opponents, Frazier would have to sift through fire and land his own hits. Speed and a steady shift of angles were key. For Tyson Fury, his defense is also meant to do damage. Tyson likes to pull opponents into throwing combinations by standing at the edge of range with his hands down. Once an opponent opens up, Tyson will meet their advance with a jab from his waist or a lead uppercut. The uppercut will vary from head to body. This technique was especially effective on Tom Schwarz. I can’t understand how uppercut devastate boxers like Joe Frazier. Joe Frazier used the A- Frame style to hold his arms up. His hands were at the sides of his chin, with elbows flared outwards. Hooks and straight punches could be parried. But Frazier’s proclivity to duck punches would lead to him accidentally kissing an uppercut. Tyson Fury may not be the most powerful punchers with 24 of his 33 wins coming by knockout, but a 73 % ratio would be enough to wobble Frazier and doing so with the correct weapon would not only score points but halt Frazier’s advances. That said, Joe Frazier was a historically slow starter. But once he got going, he was hard to stop. George Foreman has otherworldly power and clocked Frazier early. Tyson Fury doesn’t and would have to engage in war Revered for his speed, Tyson Fury actually struggles against men who can move. Steve Cunningham and Deontay Wilder scored heavy knockdowns on Tyson Fury by being able to toggle in and out of range with overhands rights. Joe Frazier was known for left hook, but he was actually right handed. He brutalized tougher than tough, Jerry Quarry with that weapon. Tyson Fury doesn’t fade in fights, which is impressive for a man who should appear to be encumbered by girth. This fight will be an intense battle ,.dictated by range with Tyson Fury landing first and often before Frazier gets inside and lands his bombs. The result of this fight is determined by those early rounds. When two fighters engage in ways where strengths and weaknesses cancel each other out, the harder worker wins. Tyson Fury fights every round of the fight. Joe Frazier took a few rounds to get into the fight.
Result: Tyson Fury defeats Joe Frazier via a close decision.
Vs. George Foreman
Not the Tyson versus Foreman that initially comes to mind, this fight would be filled with as much action. At 6’4, young George Foreman enjoyed size and strength over adversaries. Still the harder puncher here, Foreman yields 5 inches in height. This is a fight where Tyson Fury gets decked. Aside from fighters with above average movement, Tyson has been dropped by guys who can hit really hard. Here come Steve Cunningham and Deontay Wilder again. Between these two, Fury was down four times. But he rose four times and won. George Foreman was down twice in his gladiator showdown with Ron Lyle. He won that. Foreman was also floored by Jimmy Young and Muhammad Ali. He lost those. Additionally, young George suffered from poor stamina. That was a trade off of throwing everything with all of his might. Tyson Fury faced powerful men in his triple homicides of Derek Chisora and Deontay Wilder, and lambasting of Dilian Whyte. George Foreman presents poorer footwork and stamina than all of the above. Foreman would be deadly early. As the contest ensued, he would still have power, but his efficiency would drop. Hooks would become labored bolo punches. Foreman would undoubtedly score a knockdown, but Fury would recover and deliver lasting damage in the form of a steady diet of jabs, straights, and uppercuts. Eventually, with Fury’s output rising and Foreman’s becoming sparse, Fury would be able to back Foreman into a corner.
Result: Tyson Fury defeats George Foreman via knockout in rounds 7-9.
Vs. Muhammad Ali
Again, not the Ali versus Tyson that we dreamed of, this bout presents technique versus power and pita the best of two generations against each other. Muhammad Ali is the source of much of Fury’s offense. The snake jab, jab from the waist, was a popular technique in Ali’s playbook. Keeping his hands low was also an Ali ploy to get opponents to overcommit and eat straight right hands. It worked on Sonny Liston, a man who police beat with a baton and remained conscious. Even Tyson emulated Ali’s defense. Either dance around the ring or use invite an attackers in while you hang out on the ropes. The deciding factor here is speed. Yes, Fury is a big fast man. But, he always has trouble with guys who can match his foot speed. Ali would surpass foot and hand speed. Ali also faced off against harder punchers in Joe Frazier, George Foreman, Sonny Liston, Cleveland Williams, Ron Lyle, and Earnie Shavers. He was dropped twice. ( Chuck Wepner stepped on Ali’s foot. That doesn’t count). Tyson Fury has been dropped once by Steve Cunningham, a cruiserweight moving up to heavyweight, and by current bomber, Deontay Wilder three times. With similar techniques based on speed, the fight goes to who has that intangible advantage: speed.
Result: Tyson Fury defeats George Foreman via knockout in rounds 7-9.
Vs. Leon Spinks
I don’t hate Leon Spinks. I know that I don’t have him winning in any of these historical battles. That’s not changing here. Leon Spinks was an aggression fueled slugger. What he lacked in technique, power, durability, quickness, experience, and flash, Leon compensated by tirelessly throwing punches. He beat Ali. Some people say twice. Tyson Fury wants people to come to him so that he can counter. A forward only moving brawler with no knockout threat and a proclivity to being starched is the only recipe needed for a highlight reel finish. This fight should see Leon immediately pressing forward. I downplay the aggressive nature of Leon Spinks, but is unsettling to see someone throwing multitudes of punches with no drop off in ferocity. Leon Spinks was above all else, a cardio machine. The threat of being hurt may be low, but throwing in the amateur style wins rounds. Tyson can throw punches in bunches , but prefers to throw single punches with a high variance to head or body. Tyson usually strings punches together when going in for the kill. The problem in this fight is that in order for Leon Spinks to play to his strength, he has to also play to one of Tyson Fury’s. Tyson can fight forward or backwards and has a solid chin to take in to battle. Leon does not.
Result: Tyson Fury defeats Leon Spinks via knockout in rounds 2-4
Vs. Ken Norton
Ken Norton was a master technician who administer flustering performances. He used speed, awkward defense, and a jaw breaker right hand to become heavyweight champion and the second man to beat Muhammad Ali. Some say he won two of three. Wielding a cross arm block, Ken Norton would box the center of the ring to start and slowly guide his opponent around the ring, inviting them into his range and punishing their advances. Then Norton would retreat into his shell and avoid damage. Brock fisted men like George Foreman, Earnie Shavers, Gerry Cooney cracked the shell. Those men were slow but overwhelmingly strong. Tyson Fury is a fast fighter, but not one punch dead sort of competitor. Norton’s technique and style would make this fight very boring as two counter punchers who box in the center of the ring only when they have the fight in hand, would paw jabs and await the other guy to make a move. Whichever fighter decided to go on the aggressor’s path would lose. Norton could fight forward. Tyson can fight forward. Norton was more reserved in advancing after being knocked out by George Foreman. He began to adopt more bouncing around the ring. Tyson would come forward and be blasted a few times. Both men carry around a 73% knockout to win ratio, therefore power would feel familiar. Even though, Tyson hasn’t been stopped, he does have defensive lapses which leave openings for more defense to attack opponents. Otto Walin was able to exploit Tyson Fury’s lack of inside punching with hooks to the belly and head. At his best, Tyson does his work on an advancing for before closing in when they have been properly tenderized. Without fear of recourse, Ken Norton would be able to exchange more in the pocket. And because of that fear, he would get hurt.. Ken Norton never won a fight where he was hurt. Big rangy fighters troubled him, and those with power nearly decapitation him.
Result: Tyson Fury defeats Ken Norton via knockout in rounds 9-12
Vs. Larry Holmes
As a fighter, Larry Holmes had one of the best jabs in history. His right hand was a piston. His mind was sharpened in a battle of wits with Ken Norton. His mind was rattled in a win over Earnie Shavers. Larry Holmes had a traditional high guard defense, and floated around the ring with his head leaning back slightly. Seventies Larry Holmes was also undefeated. Tyson Fury would have a six inch height advantage and about 60 lbs to use. Larry Holmes combinations were meant to confuse and keep opponents at bay. Power was an issue as Holmes recorded 44 ko’s in 69 wins, 63%. Tyson Fury wouldn’t mind Holmes trying to him at bay because that’s where Tyson wants to be. Beyond Holmes’ reach, Fury still had real estate to burn down. He could still. Land jabs and crosses, while Holmes would be forced walk in. Larry Holmes wasn’t regarded as particularly fast. He was an ardent boxer who covered distance by over extending the jab and creeping up with the cross. Tyson Fury would have the ability to create angles by using the shoulder roll to parry jabs and straight punches, while landing some of his own. The punch that causes Larry Holmes trouble is the overhand right. Earnie Shavers bombed him with it. Tyson Fury has also is such to this shot as a tall fighter. The punch is easier to land on Holmes, who would bend forward when entering exchanges, versus Fury who would lean away from combat. Tyson Fury doesn’t throw that punch. Neither fighter lacks in any category drastically except power. Fury is more powerful, but Holmes chin was tested an passed. Both men play the long range game with Holmes as the aggressor, working as Fury is in retreat. Fury would snap some punches back to keep Holmes honest. Larry Holmes’ defense allowed him to see punches coming and block accordingly. Tyson Fury made punches miss outright if he could. With no clear edge in offense or defense and similar weapons, and granite chins with not enough pop on both fighters….
Result: Draw
Tyson Fury is an all time great fighter because he has no style. He can do it all, because he learned and took parts of all the greats before him. Tyson Fury is so great that he can change styles at any time for any opponent. Sometimes, he can change for the same opponent. He boxed to a victory over Deontay Wilder and also slugger a knockout home over him, too. Tyson Fury would reign in the Golden Era as well. I believe it would be harder here, because the best of the best can do it all and Tyson Fury’s strengths of speed and defensive movement, would not be the best of this era. However, a giant genius comes with many things that fighters of the Golden era hadn’t seen. Tyson Fury is a complete fighter. He can be a juggernaut and bully the opposition or be nimble and peck away. When a fighter uses such varied methods to championship success for over 15 years, they can enter the discussion for Greatest of all time.
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