Hats off to Tyson Fury, but what a shocker

The Times Online Blog14th September, 2009

I generally make it a rule to not be too critical of a decision when I was not there live. When you are ringside, it can look a much different fight to what you see on TV. Like it or not, you are influenced by the commentators, you are influenced by the moments the producers pick out as highlights between the rounds.

Take the Nikolay Valuev-Evander Holyfield furore last year. I, like most people I spoke to ringside, thought Valuev won. All the fuss was caused by people watching on TV, listening to a commentary of by a guy who was also watching on TV.

I admit I wasn't in Brentwood on Friday night, having recently come back from the World Amateur Championships in Milan, but from what I saw, John McDermott got mugged.

I had McDermott a two-point winner over Tyson Fury, so that wasn't the biggest margin and have certainly seen less deserving winners than Fury on Friday, but 98-92, the official score, hang you head in shame Terry O'Connor... again.

Controversy seems to follow O'Connor around. There was his rather dubious handling of the first Danny Williams-Matt Skelton fight, the Joe Calzaghe-Peter Manfredo stoppage. It must be a tough to referee two big guys like that and score, but I have no idea how he came up with his scorecard.

Like most people I know, I thought Fury would win, and, like most, I thought McDermott did, although by not as big a margin as most people I spoke to. McDermott was just the cleaner puncher throughout, he was the smarter, landed the better shots and generally outworked Fury, who cuffed a bit much for me. Around the middle rounds, I thought he could stop Fury, but the big Mancunian came back well near the end - I gave him the last two rounds.

That sort of fight could be the making of Fury. Stepping up from one-sided four-rounders to a ten-round title fight was incredibly brave. He should look at the positives from the fight and also the things he needs to improve - notably his defence as McDermott found him a bit too easily with his big right. He was quick to offer a rematch after, but I doubt that would be Fury's best move and neither would be the straight step into British title level he told me he was hoping to make. Fury is a work in progress and should be treated as so.

As for McDermott, he bemoaned his lack of luck, having thought he deserved to win his first fight with Danny Williams. I thought Williams won that, which just goes to show how hard judging these things can be.

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