After Fury's recent performance against Wilder, people have atarted to compare him to the great Ali in his ability to box, move, take a punch, thtow combinations and adapt to different styles. My question therefore...is Fury really like the Ali of the 1964 - 1967 period?
No. But he's Tyson Fury. And a few years from now that name might be equally synonymous with heavyweight greatness.
It is far too early to start comparing him to Ali as a champion, but there are points of similarity between them as fighters.
One of the things that is actually interesting to me from a comparative perspective is the showmanship, and the ability to attract attention with his antics. Fury has that natural talent to entertain that will, I think, help sell the sport. He could become a figure, like Ali and Tyson, who transcends boxing and moves into popular culture and legend. And as someone who has followed boxing since the latter stages of Ali's era, I find that quite exciting. The fact that he is clearly a good fighter, not at Ali's level yet, obviously helps cinch the deal. It's a good time to be a fan of heavyweight boxing.
I like fury a lot, but man, they were both sloppy in that fight. My guys from the seventies, their punching was crisp, nice combiantions. But fury looks sloppy, akward. But he gets the job done. He's sneakily defensive, thinks on his feet and huge, which probably accounts for his awkwardness. Wilder should have just barreled in and thrown punches. I know, easy for me to say.
Everything’s relative. Fury is skilful and a good mover for a man of 6’9” and 270 pounds. He’s not really in the same league as Ali though in direct comparison. What he has though is enough for the modern day, plus he has a high ring IQ and fighting heart. Overall he’s a very good fighter and by the end of his career has every chance of attaining ATG status especially head to head.
Ali's legend is built not simply around his achievements in the ring but also his stands on Vietnam and civil rights. He was a genuine hero. Tyson Fury is who he is and will create his own history but I doubt that he will be as loved as Ali was. That's not a criticism of him by the way.
Tyson Fury has proved himself to be a very good fighter. He’s undefeated, arguably has claim to lineage, and shows multiple dimensions to his game. But after only two big victories ( Over foes who were 34 and 39 years of age ) he’s hardly in a position to be compared to Muhammad Ali. Ali beat the best of a division for more than a decade and even preserved some of his ability despite a four year exile from the sport. He also won big fights while being the underdog - something that I don’t think Fury has done.
Fury was the underdog both against Wlad and this weekend. His career does have similarities to Ali. They both defeated aging Heavyweight Kings viewed as unbeatable (Wlad and Sonny) they both went into exile and lost some of their prime. Ali for the draft, Fury because of mental affliction. They both came back and defeated a monster in the division thought by many as a suicide mission and they both made it look easy. (Wilder and Foreman) Both have incredible personalities and really know how to sell a fight and both have immense faith in God. Ali fought in a much more active era so his resume and legacy is longer. But they are more similar than most would think at first look. If Fury defeats Joshua look out he would be an ATG
Yeah, it's pretty early to compare him to my top ten: 1. Ali 2. Louis 3. Holmes 4. Holyfield 5. Lewis 6. Foreman 7. Marciano 8. Frazier 9. Wlad 10. Tyson I don't see Fury as along the lines of those guys yet. But another big victory and I'd certainly be more amenable. Who did he beat besides Wilder (obviously an excellent win)? Old man Klitschko? Meh. No offense to Fury fans (I'm still not one of them, however even I can't deny his performance Saturday, really excellent job, despite being sloppy).
No. But Fury has Wlad on his resume and Wilder 2x, Joshua already avenged the Ruiz loss, has a deep resume and is a big star. Just winning that fight under the circumstances of a mega event would really elevate Fury into Top tier fighters in the division. Beating Wlad who was on an 11 year unbeaten run as champion and now dismantling and dominating what many were calling the most feared heavy of all time - are too Huge wins, their is no question about that.
I wouldn’t compare Fury with Ali the heavyweight boxer, just yet. Even though, he’s doing good and has further to go. Any similarities between him and Ali (and this has already been alluded to, to some extent) relate more to them being able to connect with their audience and the ability to grow that audience, over time. I'd hazard a guess that Fury now has a following, which consists of hardcore boxing fans; casual fans and spectators; the general public, who are just hearing and reading about him in the news. He has the ability to entertain at various levels and catch people's attention. So, yes, I think there's some similarity in them both appealing to a worldwide, cross-section of people - some of whom take an interest in them for aspects outside of boxing. Fury, of course, will bring the casual fans along with him, but he might also spark an interest in the sport from those who have never given it a thought, before now. (That said, Ali was perhaps the most famous man in the world, at one point - so, in terms of scale, one would have to suppose that there is a significant difference, at the present time). It's also interesting that both he and Ali spent some time in exile (obviously, for different reasons and timeframes) and their popularity perhaps only really began to be realized on their respective returns. In the present day, Fury's backstory resonates with people and the momentum of that resonance seems to be helped along by his way with words, which sometimes come across as though they were formed from a stream of consciousness; something raw and directly honest from him. Then you see the words quoted in writing and they become all the more striking for how organized they are, as thematic thoughts, with common messaging to the press and television news media; institutions, which I think Fury understands better than any active boxer around today. One such message - made clear - was maintained in a media conference call not long before the fight (I assume), the theme of which can be best captured in the quotation below… “ This content is protected ” Tyson Fury, 2020. https://www.secondsout.com/news/tys...arly---all-the-conference-call-quotes-2959882 Whether pre-cultivated for the media or not, I'd say messaging steeped in humility is certainly one thing Fury and Ali do not have in common.
Fury a modern day Ali? Okay they can both talk and promote a fight but in the ring they are very different. I've heard some say Fury is just a great fight on defense or offense. More like decent, and he's fortune to fight the older or those who cannot fight. Some data: The Wallin fight. One card 116-112. Close enough, vs top 40-50 type. In additionhis accuracy on punches landed in this fight, just 27.5% The defense? Wallin landed 38% of the time. Fury took Pineta the distance, this shows a lack of power. The Cunningham fight? Score cards: 56-56, 57-55, 57-55 in favor of Fury over 7 rounds. Cunningham was an older and smaller cruiser with zero punch, yet he floored Fury ( And hurt a bit ) as well as outboxed him in some rounds. Not that impressive. Look --Fury did look good vs Wilder this time time ( In the last fight many of the rounds were close ) but Wilder's going to get Ko'd earlier than Fury did it soon. All Wilder has to do is fight more top ten fighters. As I showed in an earlier thread Fury's accuracy in a fight where Wilder didn't have his legs under him was underwhelming. I don't see a master boxer on offense or defense, rather just a good one who lacks a big punch. I see a guy who at times struggles vs lesser competition and does not have the most reliable chin. In terms of super heavyweight with skills rankings I have Fury behind both Klitschko's, Lewis, and Bowe in terms of head to head and accomplishments. We'll see how Fury does vs Joshua. I favor Joshua via TKO, as he simply hits too hard. Joshua's mental state however is a question mark. Fury is the best of the long and learn heavies who could box but didn't have a big punch. Terrell, and Akinwande are comparable in this mold. If Wilder was 10-15 more accurate he probably would have TKO'd Fury, but as it was he can't box well.
