Tyson Fury: It doesn’t get any bigger than this

Tyson Fury tonight challenges champion Wladimir Klitschko for the heavyweight championship of the world in Dusseldorf. If the challenger can reproduce even half the intensity he exudes in an interview he may stand a chance of upsetting his underdog odds with the bookies.

Having weighed in at 17st 8lbs (one pound heavier than his rival) ahead of the bout at the 55,000-capacity Esprit Arena, Fury appeared to be a little less chirpy and confident than in recent weeks when conducting his media obligations. However, when he sat down with reporters earlier, the 27-year-old was far more brazen in his assessment of his task.

A Manchester native who once held the Irish heavyweight title which he was eligible to fight for thanks to his lineage, Fury openly dismissed the achievements of Klitschko despite the fact the champion has successfully defended some version of the heavyweight title 23 times in total, 18 times since 2006 and boxed the guts of 178 rounds since last tasting defeat in a 64-3 career.

As the talk died down, Fury meandered through a half-hour interview with the media before finally taking a more serious stance when erupting in a three-and-a-half minute rant. “I have got what can’t be taught and if I’m daft enough to get caught and chinned by Wladimir, then I deserve it, don’t I?,” said Fury, alluding to his fighting heritage, coming from a Travelling family which has produced numerous fighters.

“If I can’t beat a 39-year-old man, I need to pack it in, simple, I’m going nowhere,” he continued. “This is the pinnacle of my career. This is it, it doesn’t get any bigger than this.Even if I beat Wlad in one second, is it going to get any bigger than this? Wlad’s at the top of the tree.

“So if I can’t beat a 39-year-old, I don’t deserve to be the heavyweight champion of the world. I’m not here to get a paycheck and go back to Lancaster with a million quid in my bank and go and spunk it on a car and some fancy woman on a night out…. I’m here to take what he has and take over completely.

“He [Klitschko] is mutton dressed as lamb. He’s a 40-year-old woman full of make-up from half a mile away.”

The challenger certainly talks a good game when in full flight, but the challenge he faces in an effort to defeat Klitschko is a formidable one.

With his uncle Peter Fury in his corner, the challenger has never suffered a knockdown and tends to be more disciplined, unlike in the past when visiting the canvas twice during a more reckless spell in his undefeated 24-0 career.

The champion, a money-on favourite, deserves to be fancied despite the criticism he often receives for his somewhat robotic style, but Klitschko has never faced such a physically-imposing opponent as Fury, who at 6ft 9in holds a two-inch height advantage over the Ukrainian (as well as a four-inch reach advantage). A sensible analysis points towards a Klitschko win, but the mouthy challenger may be capable of matching his words and making a fight of it.

*Klitschko v Fury is live on Sky Sports Box Office this Saturday. Buy now at skysports.com/klitschkofury