The opposite in physique but Fury aims to shock Klitschko

Shortly after Michael Buffer had hailed him as one of the two best heavyweights on the planet, Tyson Fury bounded to the stage to weigh in for the biggest fight of his life humming an old gospel tune, “I’m going to have a little talk with Jesus, tonight when I get home.” Then he started grinning in the manner of someone who knows their lottery numbers are about to come up. Whatever you might think about Fury’s talents or scattergun opinions, he truly believes. And he is more convinced than ever that he is about to bring Wladimir Klitschko’s reign as WBA, IBF and WBO world heavyweight world champion to a crashing finale.

“I’m a 4-1 underdog but Cassius Clay was a big underdog against Sonny Liston and so was Leon Spinks against Muhammad Ali and Buster Douglas against Mike Tyson,” he said. “Underdogs win. I think it’ll pan out with me knocking him out. I don’t intend to leave it to anyone else - my destiny is in these two hands.”

Fury weighed in at 17st 8lb, a stone lighter than his last fight against Christian Hammer in February, but still noticeably wobbly around his waist. The 39-year-old Klitschko, a pound lighter, again looked as if he could have been sculptured by Phidias. This is a boxing contest not a bodybuilding one, but the difference between the two men’s physiques was striking. Klitschko sported a six pack. Fury looked like he had drunk one.

Yet the Fury camp promise that their man is in the best shape of his life, and will maintain a pace that will have Klitschko - and those watching - gasping. As his father John told the Guardian: “He’s been training hard for the last four months. He’s done over 1,000 rounds of sparring. He’s done everything humanly possible. He’s been running at high altitude in the Peaks in Windermere, and they are like Billy Goat country. And you know how hard that is for a heavyweight. Fitness is not going to be a problem.”

All week Fury’s beaming demeanour has been of a man who is in sole possession of a wondrous secret. And while most fighters are fearful of Klitchsko’s height and size, the 27-year-old from Morecambe believes it will play to his strengths.

“I prefer to fight a bigger guy,” he says. “I don’t like fighting smaller guys, they give me problems with their agility. But I have not met a man as tall as me, who is as quick as me, ever. I’ve sparred with lots of people and played around with everybody. His size, his reach, his heaviness, will work against him.

“I have faster feet than him. He had slow feet until he had 50 fights, so if it has taken him 50 fights to get fast feet, he is not a natural fighter, is he? I’ve had 24 fights, he has had three times as a many fights as me and I am going to show him up.” Usually it is difficult to make a case for any of Klitschko’s opponents which goes much beyond the hoariest cliche in boxing: if a big man whacks another on the chin, who knows? Yet with Fury, that case is built on firmer foundations. He is slightly the taller man, and has a four-inch reach advantage. That could be significant. Klitschko likes to control a fight with his ramrod jab, thrust time and time in his opponent’s face like a bullfighter’s pica, until they are slowed and he can move in for the kill. Will he able to able to do that as easily against Fury?

Fury can also box southpaw as well as orthodox, on the front foot and back, which gives him yet more options.

Klitschko admits he is a control freak. So what will happen if Fury can keep him off balance and out of sync? If Klitchsko does become uncomfortable perhaps he will open up his defensive shell and make mistakes.

Age, too, could be a factor. Sometimes fighters grow old in the ring overnight. Klitchsko will surpass the great Joe Louis’s record for the most heavyweight title fights, which currently stands at 27. He can’t go on forever.

“He’s a bit lighter, so obviously he is going to try to beat me for speed,” says Fury. “He has decided on a giant ring, 24ft, so if he doesn’t get me out of there he is going to run away and try and win a decision. It’s up to me not to let him get it.

“I’m expecting a quick start from Wlad, a nice fast jab and some movement. I’m not too sure he will be worried about my reach advantage, though. I’m sure they have been practising getting out of the way of a big long jab.”

But Fury has questions to answer too. He was put on the floor by the former cruiserweight champion Steve Cunningham and the Canadian Neven Pajkic, and he has never faced anywhere near this level of competition. It is one thing fighting Dereck Chisora in front of a home crowd, quite another facing Klitschko in front of 55,000 people on foreign soil.

And while this isn’t peak era Klitschko - he appears to have showed down and doesn’t seem to throw as many punches as he once did - his defensive skills and accuracy are still razor sharp. The verdict of Sheffield heavyweight Richard Towers, who has sparred with both men and helped prepare Klitschko for the fight is particularly emphatic: “When he throws a punch, nine out of 10 times it lands, and he’s always in position to throw shots,” he says. “He may be 39 now, but there’s no deterioration at all, believe me.”

Time and again we have seen Klitschko surprising opponents with the speed of his footwork: one moment he is in range, the next he is gone. Time and again, we have seen opponents trying to rile him in the buildup without success. He has seen it all before.

As he explains: “I pay attention to detail. Small tiny details make a difference. If he wants to cause chaos, that’s fantastic. Because chaos is emotion and emotions are a downside. I’ve done that, been there and I’m going to use it to my advantage.

“Guys end up getting under their own skin. It happened with David Haye it is happening with Tyson Fury. He is digging a hole in the ground for himself.”

Fury, though, insists he is ready. Ready for the adrenaline surge of stepping in front of the biggest crowd of his life. Ready to face the dominant heavyweight champion of this era. Ready to shake up the world.

“I’m 27 now and polished,” he says. “It’s a big fight, a fantastic opportunity and I have worked so hard to get here. He’s getting knocked out for sure.”

(Guardian Service)