Tyson Fury is taking a big risk this weekend. Although he is a legitimate opponent, it is not WBO ranked #3 Christian Hammer (17-3, 10 KO’s) that inherently poses a huge risk to Fury. Fury is easily the favorite in the bout. The risk is in taking a fight at all ahead of what is expected to be a late 2015 bout with Wladimir Klitschko.
Tyson Fury currently sits in the enviable position of “next in line” to face World Heavyweight Champion Wladimir Klitschko after Klitschko’s own championship fight against Bryant Jennings in April. All Fury would have to do is relax and wait for his turn, but instead he has chosen to take on Christian Hammer in what one might be inclined to call a “stay busy fight”.
It was only a few years ago that we saw a similar situation with Victor Ortiz when he fought underdog Josesito Lopez a few months before his scheduled super fight with Canelo Alvarez. The smaller Lopez may not have been the riskiest fighter for Ortiz to get in the ring with but as boxing is wont to do, Ortiz had his jaw shattered, and the Canelo fight went to Lopez.
That’s the thing about boxing… you just never know. Fury was recently interviewed on Boxnation TV and discussed the strengths of his seemingly overmatched opponent.
“He’s got good boxing skill, good footwork, decent combinations, decent power… so I don’t know. I can’t see anything special about him, nothing spectacular but he does everything okay if you know what I mean. He’s an all arounder type of a thing.”
Fury was upfront about the where this fight stands for the both of them. He knows the fight is an all risk, no reward situation that he can not take lightly.
“He is not to be underestimated, this guy. He’s coming here, I’ve got it all to lose, he’s got it all to gain. I gain nothing by beating Hammer, I’m already in position, it doesn’t mean anything to me, this fight. It doesn’t do anything; it doesn’t enhance my reputation. The fight I need is Klitschko.”
So why would Tyson Fury risk the big fight with Klitschko and take a fight with Christian Hammer? Fury needed to get back in the ring. It’s just that simple. He can’t sit around for over a year waiting for Klitschko (or anyone else). This fight is the textbook definition of a stay busy fight.
“That is why I took this fight. I needed this fight to keep busy, because a fight maybe in September or October with a Klitschko or whoever it is so it’s too long of a wait to wait for somebody for that long.”
Will Fury end up regretting his decision? I am inclined to doubt it. Hammer is a decent heavyweight with average skills. He puts punches together well and has a nice quick left hook he likes to throw to the body and head, but that left also hangs pretty low when he’s not throwing it. Between Hammer’s lack of speed, average punching power and a left guard that drifts low over the course of a fight, I just don’t see an immediate threat. That said, in a heavyweight boxing match, it only takes one punch to shock the world.
You can see Tyson Fury put it all on the line against Christian Hammer this Saturday afternoon Live from London, England.
