By James Slater: Fans on this website (and I’m sure fans in general) have often poked fun at the way heavily hyped British heavyweight contender Tyson Fury once whacked himself in the face with a stray right uppercut. This occurred in the 22-year-old’s 4th-round retirement win over the tough Lee Swaby, in what was Fury’s fourth pro outing. Internet images of the clumsy error were soon everywhere and jokes abounded. “Imagine if he’d knocked himself out!” one witty fan wrote.
But, as embarrassing as the incident may have been for Luke Tyson Fury, he himself has shown he is able to laugh at what happened. In speaking with Boxrec News, ahead of the serious business of this Saturday’s fight with the potentially dangerous-punching Brazilian Marcelo Luiz Nascimento, Fury recalled the Swaby “miss-hit.”
“Up until this point in my career I’ve been in with some very good fighters but the hardest I have been punched in the face is my myself when I missed Lee Swaby with a right uppercut,” Fury said. “This (the fight with the Brazilian who is 13-0(11) is without doubt the most dangerous and hardest puncher I’ve ever been in the ring with.
“Although this is by far my most dangerous test to date I’m going to show Amir Khan how to deal with a huge puncher from South America.”
This last crack at Khan’s expense clearly refers to the reigning WBA 140-pound champ’s 1st-round loss to Breidis Prescott, from 2008. Back then, Prescott was as unknown as Nascimento is right now, but we all know his name now. Will the 6’5” approx 230-pound 30-year-old make a name for himself in a similar fashion?
So far, the man from Sao Paulo who calls himself “The Hammer” has faced limited opposition, with all but one of his 13 pro bouts taking place in Brazil (his last fight, in October of 2010, took place in Argentina). Just four of Nascimento’s opponents entered the ring with him sporting a winning record, but the latest fight he had, against Gonzalo Omar Basile (a 1st-round TKO win) did see the Brazilian go in with a guy who was 48-4(23). Nascimento took his man out on 34 seconds.
“The Hammer” certainly could be a dangerous proposition for Fury, then. Fury himself has promised fireworks, suggesting his fight could be the best of the entire Wembley card this Saturday. Whenever a guy has yet to learn how to lose, almost anything can happen – especially when he can bang. Both Fury and Nascimento can swat; but who can take the better shot? We should find out in a couple of days time.
Let’s hope Fury offers his imported opponent no assistance by belting himself in the face in this one!