By Shaun Murphy-
Tyson Fury’s claim to a packed press conference yesterday that the world will see a heavyweight Sugar Ray Leonard this weekend is interesting. Interesting because Sugar Ray Leonard was a boxing legend with brilliant skills and impressive movement. Fury was talking ahead of his fight against Italian Francesco Pianetta to take place On Saturday.
Pianetta has lost 4 fights out of 40 fights, his defeats coming against world class opponents in Ruslan Chagaev, oliva McCall, Wladimir Klitschko, and Kevin Johnson. All were fringe contenders, except Wladimir Klitschko who was roundly outpointed by Tyson Fury in 2015. Tyson Fury is expected to convincingly beat Pianetta on Saturday, but hopefully get a few rounds under his belt in doing so. There is no real possibility of an upset in that fight because Pianetta will not offer any tough opposition.
The real test of Fury looking like a heavyweight Sugar Ray Leonard will come when he faces Wilder this year. If Fury at over 18 stones can box like Sugar Ray Leonard, then he may well beat Deontey Wilder.
If he can take Wilder’s shots and outbox the American with his reach and movement then heavyweight heavyweight boxing will be in for a revival. A revival led by a champion that can talk till the sun goes down. Wilder is a big puncher, but Fury can also punch hard enough to destabilise his opponents, but he does not hit as hard as Wilder. A well conditioned Fury at 18 stones will be a problem for Wilder, who comes in at 15 1/2 stones. Fury may want a 3 stonnes advantage and come in at 18 1/2 stones for the Wilder fight, but if he does, chances are that he gets knocked out. He won’t be conditioned to last against the light and very well conditioned American if he is anything over 18 stonnes
”If I come through this then Wilder has the chance to fight me for the lineal championship. Let’s face it, he’s not really fought anybody and he’s had 40 fights,” Fury said. That’s not true, Loius Otiz was a good and tough opponent, and nearly stopped Wilder in the 7th round of their last fight. Johann Duhaupas was also tough and went 11 rounds with Wilder in 2015, whilst Artur Szpika went 9 rounds with the WBC champion. Eric Molina also gave Wilder a tough time in 2016 when he went 9 rounds with him in a level fight that ended suddenly.
Fury hasn’t fought any of these guys, but would be fancied to beat them all. Anthony Joshua knocked Molina out in three brutal rounds, as he took the fight to Molina violently.
“I study my heavyweights and I know he’s fought some good men. He’s a big strong fella and he knows that if he wins he will fight Wilder instead of me,” Fury said. “He’s going to try to knock me out. Hopefully he won’t be successful and we’ll put on a show southpaw, which is a lot more awkward because there aren’t many of them in the division, so it’s hard to get sparring. But every southpaw I’ve ever fought I’ve knocked out.
“What you’re likely to see from me on Saturday is a heavyweight Sugar Ray Leonard. Anything less is a failure. Judge me on that comment, a heavyweight Sugar Ray Leonard.
“I do want to win a world title again so I have to raise my game after three years out of the game nearly and ballooning up to 28 stones. To lose that weight has been mentally and physically draining and to do it there has to be a want in the brain and I have that. That’s why I’m a sick boxer and I win fights.” We will only be able to judge Fury’s performance on Saturday if Pianetta has anything to offer, but it is hard to see the Italian given Fury a tough fight of any kind.
Saturday’s fight is just a formality to pave the way for the real Las Vegas show against Wilder. Wilder v Fury is the fight that will test quality, skills and determination . It is hard to see Fury staying down even if Wilder puts him on the canvas when they meet, this gypsy has heart, and if he moves and boxes anything like Sugar Ray Leonard, it will send a warning to Wilder who will definitely give away more than 2 stones to a man that can move, box, and actually fight. If Pianetta has anything to offer, we will see what Tyson Fury has to show.