On October 24, 2015, the Ukrainian reigning heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko (64-3-0) will cross the ropes and enter the ring against one of the more formidable opponents in his late career, an undefeated U.K. native Tyson Fury (24-0-0).
Klitschko’s last defeat was handed to him by Lamon Brewster (35-6-0) in 2004, after which Wladimir went on to win 22 bouts, most of which came by way to knockout. Despite the fact that he has been challenged by a range of opponents that came with a variety of styles, Klitschko stayed dominant.
Having said that, in his last fight against Bryant Jennings (19-1-0), Wladimir’s performance was lackluster at the least, with the champion looking slow, sloppy, and unenthusiastic. Was Klitschko gassed due to the ravages of time?
Is he getting too old for such a big man to continue in this sport? Being 39 years old with almost 20 years in the sport of boxing, it is entirely possible that this champion is starting to fade, with the body retiring first, while the mind is still clings on.
Maybe that’s the reason why so many wagers are favoring Tyson Fury in their upcoming bout in Dusseldorf, Germany.
According to Boxing-mma website, the bookmakers are reporting that 59% of the bets are in favor of Fury beating Klitschko, 40% are for Wladimir keeping his dominant position by defeating Fury, and 1% predict a draw.
Certainly this bout brings more enthusiasm than many other heavyweight fights in the recent past, with Klitschko facing a younger and bigger fighter with a longer reach. The 10cm reach difference might not sound like much, but it is more than enough if applied properly.
October 24th will be as big a day for Fury as it will be for Klitschko. This will be an ideal opportunity for Wladimir to display his abilities in the present time, proving that he is as good as he ever was. For Fury, or any heavyweight boxer for that matter, beating Klitschko would be the pinnacle of their career.
