Time For Tyson Fury To Deliver

Seconds out Clive Bernath11th August, 2009

On Friday, September 11, heavyweight prospect Tyson Fury will at the very least go some way to proving whether or not he can fight as well as he talks.

Ever since Fury turned professional on December 6, 2008 the 21 year-old former ABA champ has boasted to anyone that will listen that he is the future of the heavyweight division. His promoter Mick Hennessy even went one step further, insisting in a post fight interview on ITV4 that Tyson Fury 'Is the best prospect in world boxing'

On paper, seven wins, seven stoppages from seven starts would look good on anyone's record but the opposition has so far been far from impressive and gives little indication of just how good Tyson Fury is. At least when the Manchester heavyweight challenges John McDermott for the English heavyweight title at the Brentwood Leisure Centre on September 11 we should find out once and for all if he is a star in the making or just another heavyweight trash talker.

Earlier this month Fury took time out from ridiculing his domestic rivals in favour of winding up McDermott's promoter Frank Maloney, who promotes the heavyweight clash live in Sky Sports.

Fury, never one to hold back said: "It will make a nice change for Frank Maloney to finally have a decent heavyweight on one of his shows".

"I've watched some of the big lumps he's had on his shows recently and it's like watching Dumbo on Ice - they can barely stand upright, let alone throw punches.

"To be fair to John McDermott, he's the best of a bad lot with Maloney's heavyweights and, thankfully for him, he can fight a lot better than he looks."

"I might talk the talk but I walk the walk as well and I'll prove that against McDermott," he said.

"Maloney obviously believes that McDermott can beat me, but I think that just proves what I said before - what Maloney knows about heavyweights could be tattooed on the back of my big toe."

Maloney may be literally half the size of the 6ft 7, 250lbs Fury but he has always been a heavyweight when it comes to an argument and was quick to respond, saying: "Perhaps Fury had a hard spar that day when he made those comments, and I'll forgive him if he did.

"I would say my track record with heavyweights is better than anybody in British boxing.

"My work with Lennox Lewis is there for all to see and I helped discover Nikolai Valuev and John Ruiz - one great world champion and two decent ones.

"They aren't bad fighters to have on your bills. Let's be honest Fury wouldn't have been allowed in the same city as Lennox, let alone ring!

"Domestically I got Julius Francis paydays, Fury can only dream of. I wonder if Tyson's connections will do the same."

"Fury and Mick(Hennessy) are quick to tell the world he is the greatest heavyweight hope in the world, but he obviously can't be that valued because he is the away fighter in his first title fight."

"Before Tyson starts telling everyone he is the best, he wants to prove he is the top heavyweight in the north-west. Didn't David Price school him as an amateur or am I suffering from amnesia?"

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