Heavy Men Leave Heavy Hearts as the British Heavyweight Scene Flatlines
Tyson Fury, the next big thing in British heavyweight boxing was close to exhaustion after a handful of rounds. He hadn’t trained, hadn’t sparred and hadn’t taken the sport very seriously at all. His opponent, the morbidly obese John McDermott had roared his way into the ring yet he was about to leave it without as much as a whimper. Faced with an opponent who had been reduced to fighting from memory and who was looking a cert to unravel over the fight’s final third, Big John assumed the role he’d fought so valiantly to escape from and took a seat.
As an advert for the sport, any sport come to that, it was abysmal. And it didn’t just stop with the main event.
The undercard featured more reasons to sigh, with more of these flawed sportsmen rolling over and fighting like ringers. In a battle of prospects, Larry Olubamiwo, a man who wears his shorts at a height Simon Cowell could only dream of, whacked out the North East’s Dave Ferguson in double quick time. An interesting match-up on paper turned into a rout as Larry stalked a petrified looking Ferguson around the ring before dropping a big right hand on him, which Fergie promptly took umbrage to and hit the deck. Still in pretty handy consultation with his faculties, Dave “misjudged” his count and then scuttled off to his stool, holding his head in his hands.
And on it went. Big men, huge men in fact bestowed with a disproportionate helping of gumption. Former Olympian David Price took to the ring and became a record breaker in my mind at least. He has to be the only boxer to have tallied seven wins without really exchanging punches with anyone, and easily the first guy to have scored five knockouts without landing five punches. His “opponent” here, the sumo sized Pavol Polakovic, only needed to feel the wind from Pricey’s right hand to convince himself he’d had enough. Down goes Polakovic!! Down goes Polakovic!! Down goes…..oh you get the idea, and I really shouldn’t be even vaguely associating such a pitiful surrender with a champion like Joe Frazier in the name of mirth.
Next came another highly touted big fella, a six foot six roofer from Chatham by the name of Tom Dallas, in against imported shock absorber on legs Daniel Peret (real name Daniil Peretyatko but more affectionately referred to as “Shrek”). All I can offer really is a reiteration of Frank Maloney’s advice to the Kent man, namely that he doesn’t give up his day job. Peret’s day job consists of having his face rearranged, tough work for sure but man does he dine out on it. I half expected to see a marine biologist in his corner watering him down between sessions.
It isn’t that I’m faulting Maloney (well in two of the above cases anyway, he certainly needs to step Price up double quick), he can only put on the best fights available to him. The blame lies squarely with the fighters. McDermott for one professed how hard he had trained beforehand yet he jiggled when he plodded and there was precious little sign of any fitness on his part as he lumbered to defeat at the hands of a dead man. Fury was gone here, totally and utterly kaputnik, he plainly hadn’t bothered training for the contest and seems destined for a mighty fall from grace pretty sharpsh.
At 19st 4lb, the big guy ate right hands as if they were the sweeties he professes to be so fond of and boy was he peckish. His suspect conditioning evaporated in the time it takes to boil a kettle and although he showed guts and balls to pull out the win, he should never have found himself running on fumes so early and so negligently.
I can empathise somewhat, I’m pretty affable by nature and every year I trot around a local half marathon without completing any training whatsoever in the lead up. Every year without fail my face contorts into the agonised grimace young Tyson sported on Friday as I realise my folly, huffing and puffing my way to the finish with thoughts of self loathing abound as I’m passed by a procession of pensioners. Next year it’ll be different I promise, next year I’ll train properly- but I never do. I won’t either, I know myself too well, it’ll be the same pantomime for the foreseeable future unless I ever reach the point where I can’t last the course and limp away a beaten man with my tail between my legs.
Thankfully I won’t be throwing my career away in the process and the only hurt I’m likely to feel is to my pride.
4 comments on “Heavy Men Leave Heavy Hearts as the British Heavyweight Scene Flatlines”
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A very acerbic, but nevertheless honest, reflection of the action. Fury is being very badly advised and is clearly playing at the sport.
Hi David-I agree and boxing is a sport you shouldn’t play at, ever.
I like Fury, I’ve met the guy and he’s a thoroughly decent chap, certainly nothing like the character he plays up to being in the media. I also think he has the size and skill to do something at heavyweight, however, he needs to be super fit to be able to do it. If he could base his game on overwhelming opponents by throwing vast volumes of accurate shots, he’d be tough to beat.
At present it appears that it’ll take a bad defeat to alter his course, against a fighter he should be beating-which I wouldn’t like to see.
i completly agree with you! tyson fury is supposed to be a future champ at british level and even challenging for world honours but he’s and absolute joke. the guy looked so out of shape. hes so flabby and soft round the middle and could do with some bilk around the shoulder and chest. this not only affects his speed and power but also his movement and posture. not forgetting the most startling factor his stamina. if you decide to be a professional boxer where your livly hood relys on your success surly a level of professionalism and disipline should come in to play. there has never been an undisiplined champ and the best fighters are always the most disiplined. ali, mayweather, jones, leanard, lewis ect ect were all known for there maticulus preparation and devotion to a healthy lifestyle. boxing demands hard work otherwise you can forget it. im so insenced by this infact that i left a message on tysons twitter page telling him to get his act together. id love to see a uk heavey weight champ and along with price i think fury has it in him. in spells against mcdermott he looked class but then his lack of training, sparring and boxing knoledge left him wanting. in my opinion if he worked with a trainer of the likes of steward or roach he be a world champ in 2 years. they would force him to perfect his flabby phisyque tune his skills with top class sparring and teach him the right game plan where he can use his height and reach affetivly. the guy has more in his locker than the klits and a great heart anhd chin. but anyway well see where he goes from here. theres a good chance hell get beat in his next fight if he stays the same.
I’m starting to wonder if Tyson really ever wanted to be a fighter or whether it was more a case of his father pushing him into a sport he just can’t motivate himself sufficiently for (reminds me somewhat of Buster Douglas-a guy with all the tools but who onlt managed to motivate himself for one night). I noticed that he dedicated the win to his pops after the fight.
His inability to avoid McDermott’s slow overhand right is a disaster waiting to happen as is his lack of gas in the tank.
I like the kid and hope that he can turn things around but if he continues to come into the ring without preparing correctly, I can’t feel sympathy for him when he eventually comes a cropper.