TYSON FURY VS. DILLIAN WHYTE REVIEW: THE GYPSY KING SINKS THE BODY SNATCHER IN THE SIXTH

 

By Peter Silkov

Writer for The Boxing Glove

Wembley Stadium

If Saturday night proves to be the final night of Tyson Fury’s career, then he will have performed yet another rare feat during his tumultuous boxing career, by becoming one of the very few world champions who chose to walk away while they were still ‘king of the hill’. With his sixth-round knockout of Dillian Whyte before a record-breaking audience of 94,000, Tyson showed that he is not just the best heavyweight in the world, but if anything at almost 34 years of age, still getting better. Tyson dismantled Whyte with the air of a man watering his garden on a Saturday afternoon. Any fears that the three wars with Deontay Wilder may have taken something out of Fury were shown to be unfounded as ‘The Gypsy King’ first out-boxed, then out-punched ‘The Body Snatcher’ before finally knocking him out of the fight altogether with a clinical right uppercut. Fury did all this with ease, which left the impression that he had barely got out of 2nd gear. In the end, it was easier than many had expected it to be. Whyte was always seemingly a step behind, as ‘The Gypsy King’ showed himself to be a league above his challenger.

Dillian Whyte Enters Ring

The bout began cagily with both men weighing each other up, and few meaningful punches being landed. By the end of the round Fury was already landing with his jab and showing a nimbleness of footwork, which underlined the flat-footed nature of his challenger.

Anyone who believed that Whyte would start the fight fast and aggressively was probably surprised by Whyte's demeanor. Fury is usually always a slow starter, and many felt that the challenger's best chance of victory, (perhaps his only chance) was to go after the champion from the start. Yet Whyte started slowly, stalking Fury but without the fire that might have been expected. Another surprise was that Whyte opened the bout boxing as a southpaw, rather than in his usual orthodox stance. This might have been part of a plan to try and unsettle the champion, but if anything, it seemed to confuse Dillian more than anyone else. Whatever plan lay behind Whyte's change in stance was hastily abandoned after the opening round, and he fought the remainder of the match in his usual orthodox manner. This was always going to be a long shot tactic for Whyte, as Fury is one of the very few fighters who can switch with ease from orthodox to southpaw, so he was never very likely to be bothered by Whyte's rather random attempt at boxing southpaw.

Fury was finding his rhythm by the second round while Whyte was already beginning to struggle with the champion’s speed and movement. Tyson’s greatest attribute has always been not so much his size but the speed and dexterity which he has for a man of his size. Add that to his ring IQ and fitness, which belies his fleshy exterior, and you have a clue to Fury’s success.

It was becoming clear that this was a much sharper and better conditioned ‘Gypsy King’ than we saw against Wilder last October. Weighing in 13 pounds lighter at 264 pounds, Fury’s reflexes and footwork was clearly improved. Fury was displaying the boxing skills that he largely abandoned last October against Wilder, when under trained and ring rusty, he had to resort to going toe-to-toe to win their 3rd and final war.

Fury was pot-shotting Whyte with jabs and the occasional right hand, landing then stepping out of range. As the fight progressed, he was putting more and more weight into his punches.

By the third round, Fury was already beginning to slowly dominate. He was subtly chipping away at Whyte with his left, at times tantalizing his challenger by switching stances that seemed to wrong-foot and befuddle Whyte even more. Always a rather flat-footed fighter, Fury’s nimbleness was making Dillian seem pedestrian and clumsy.

Whyte was already breathing heavily by the 4th stanza and showed some signs of growing frustration as he attempted to drag Fury into a mauling brawl. There were some ugly clinches and wrestling, as the referee seemed to struggle to retain control of the fighters. One such mauling clinch ended with a head butt from Whyte, which ironically resulted in a cut above his right eye.

Fury stepped the pace up in the 5th and some blows visibly hurt Whyte. As well as regularly spearing his challenger with a damaging straight left, Fury was also hurting Whyte with rights to the body. When he returned to his corner at the end of the round, Fury seemed to say to his cornermen ‘Next round’.

The conclusion came near the end of what had been a fairly quiet round. Fury patiently looked for his opening while he jabbed with his left, and Whyte was seemingly out of ideas and constantly tried to hold and maul the champion. When the opening came Fury took it with deadly precision. The end came via a peach of a right uppercut, which deposited Whyte flat on his back. Fury’s hand speed, accuracy, and underrated ability on the inside all came to play into the dramatic finish of this match.

To his credit, Whyte beat the count and tried to convince the referee that he was ok to continue. However, his wobbly and uncoordinated body betrayed the fact that his brain was no longer in charge of his faculties, and the referee’s decision to stop the fight was probably his best action of the night.

It was a brilliant performance by Tyson, who ended the fight unmarked and had barely taken a serious punch. He had outclassed ‘The Body Snatcher’ and underlined his standing in the heavyweight division. Tyson stands head and shoulders over the rest of the division, not just physically, but in all areas which make up a top pugilist.

If anything, judging by this performance, at 34 years of age, Tyson is still improving. After a career plagued by inactivity, (which was usually down to outside issues out of his control) Tyson was finally able to give us a glimpse of what he can do when he is fully trained, healthy, and not coming off a long layoff. Despite the wars with Wilder, Tyson seems to still have a lot left in the tank and a lot more to show if he faces a challenger capable of pushing him more than Dillian Whyte did Saturday night. Should he walk away now while still at his peak? It is a question, which only Tyson Fury himself should decide. Retirement has always been the biggest challenge for most fighters, especially when they are at or near the top of the tree.

Team Fury Celebrating

If he does walk away now, Tyson Fury would be in rare company. Only one other world heavyweight champion has ever retired undefeated while champion and stayed retired, and that was the legendary Rocky Marciano.

Ironically, Britain’s last outstanding world heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis was also one of the very few to walk away while still world champion, but he was not undefeated, like the ‘Gypsy King’.

On one hand, it would be nice to see Fury face the winner of Usyk vs Joshua, ‘The Gypsy King’ brings an atmosphere and excitement to boxing that no one else can match at the moment, certainly in the heavyweight division. If this was Fury’s final boxing match, then he will most definitely be missed. Yet in a way, it would be fitting for Fury to once more mark himself out from the crowd and walk away from boxing despite the riches he can still make from it. A match with either Usyk or Joshua could earn Fury as much as 100 million pounds. But Fury gives the impression that he is tired of dealing with the constant petty politics that comes with dealing with Anthony Joshua and Eddie Hearn.

While Tyson was brilliant, when looking at Dillian Whyte’s performance, one does have to wonder whether all the preflight shenanigans, such as Whyte refusing to take part in the fight promotional press conferences and the long-running row regarding the cut of his purse, ended up hurting Dillian rather than Fury. ‘The Body Snatcher’ never seemed as fired up, as you would expect for someone finally getting the chance to fight for the world heavyweight championship. Even on his ring entrance, the challenger seemed strangely subdued and almost drained. One also has to question the tactics that Whyte used during the fight. It seemed Dillian's best chance of victory was to try and land one of his big shots. Yet too often he was trying to box with Tyson rather than drag him into a toe-to-toe war. In the end, Whyte seemed to find Tyson too strong as well as too fast and skillful.

Ultimately Whyte did not look like a challenger who believed that he could win. Something which was betrayed by his pre-fight behavior.

As the dust settles on Saturday night it seems that Dillian Whyte is attempting to excuse his defeat with some bizarre claims, the like of which even Deontay Wilder would have been embarrassed to attempt. In the end, it seems that the hapless Whyte (after receiving a career-high purse for a world title fight that he didn’t deserve) is unable to even be a graceful loser.

Fury has done more than enough in and out of the ring to deserve a long and happy retirement. He has battled back from mental health and substance abuse issues which put him in such a state that many found it laughable when he announced his comeback. Incredibly, what a comeback it has been, despite those who still doubted him (including right up to Saturday’s fight!). Tyson has fought back from being a mental and physical wreck to undoubtedly the number one heavyweight in the world and the best heavyweight of his generation. A victory over either Usyk or Joshua would mean little now in the grand scheme of things. Neither man seems to be a true threat to Fury.

Fury has many other opportunities away from boxing, whether it is as an actor, trainer, or even a promoter. It would be sad to see him make the mistake of so many others by staying too long. There will always be more challengers and fights to take. In the end, too many great fighters find themselves ground down by it all until they are beaten and defeated.

Carry on being different Tyson and walk away now.

Follow us on Twitter: @TheBoxingGlove and  

Facebook: www.facebook.com/theboxingglove

Instagram: TheBoxingGlove
If you are an boxer, amateur or professional, and want us to follow you or tell your story, contact petersilkov@yahoo.com   or theboxingglove@yahoo.com

If you are an author and you would like your book reviewed, contact Peter Silkov at petersilkov@yahoo.com or theboxingglove@yahoo.com

The 2015 Boxing Glove Awards: Britain's Fight of the Year: Joshua vs. Whyte

The Boxing Glove Awards 2015
Britain’s Fight of the Year

Anthony Joshua KO 7 Dillian Whyte,
December 12, 2015. 02 Arena, Greenwich, London. 
British, Commonwealth, and WBO International  Heavyweight titles.

Just two weeks after Tyson Fury performed his stunning upset triumph over Wladimir Klitschko, to take the World heavyweight championship, Anthony Joshua came through the first real test of his career with a stunning knockout.  In facing the unbeaten Dillian Whyte, Joshua was facing a man who had beaten him as an amateur, and the fight was fueled by a genuine mutual dislike on both sides.

The fight itself was exciting and explosive, with more drama than has been seen in a heavyweight title fight in Britain for many years.  After almost being stopped in the 1st round, Whyte came back to prove himself a worthy test for Joshua.  He shook up Joshua in the 2nd and 3rd rounds, and was competitive right up to the dramatic finale when Joshua koed him with a monstrous uppercut in the 7th round.  This fight proved that Joshua has substance, as well as talent, he can take a punch, come back, go past the early rounds, and still retain his punching power.  What this fight also proved is that heavyweight boxing is alive like never before in Britain at the moment, and that a future showdown between Joshua, and Tyson Fury could be the biggest fight that has ever been seen on these shores in a while.

Watch Anthony Joshua Vs. Dillion Whyte:

Copyright © 2016 The Boxing Glove, Inc. Peter Silkov Art. All Rights Reserved. Peter Silkov contributes to www.theboxingglove.com

The Boxing Glove Book Review: When the Gloves Came Off: Billy Walker

 

The Boxing Glove Sunday Night Book Review By Peter Silkov

Written by Billy Walker with Robin McGibbon

During the 1960s, Billy Walker was one of the most popular and exciting boxers in Britain. He was a fighter rather than a boxer, a blonde haired heavyweight with an aggressive come-forward fighting style, and a big punch in his right hand. Variously nicknamed “The Blonde Bomber” and “The Golden Boy“, Billy was a promoter’s dream. Guided by his older brother, George, himself an ex-boxer who had challenged unsuccessfully for the British light-heavyweight title in the early 50s, Billy would become one of the biggest sporting celebrities in the country, with his popularity and earning power rivaled only by Henry Cooper. 

Walker became a star while still an amateur, when on November 2, 1961; he knocked out heavily favoured American heavyweight Cornelius Perry in the first round. The fight was part of an Ango-US tournament, which was staged at Wembley Stadium and broadcast live on TV to an audience of 12 million viewers. The tournament was a resounding success for the British team, with the home boxers winning by an unprecedented 9-0 whitewash. Yet, it was Billy Walker’s winning performance that stood out from all of the nine victories that night. Boxing fans have always loved a heavyweight with a big punch and an aggressive free throwing style. With his sensational victory over Perry, Walker really did become an overnight star and celebrity, even before he had turned professional. Perry was the Golden Gloves champion, and had been expected to do big things when he turned professional; instead, he went home to America following his defeat to Walker. He never boxed again, as neither an amateur, nor a professional.

Walker turned professional three months after his win over Perry amid much fanfare.  As a professional, he would certainly live up to expectations in terms of excitement and entertainment, the critics may have pointed out that Walker lacked some of the finer points of the sweet science, but no one could claim that he was dull or lacked heart.  Walker’s professional career would be full of drama, with some spectacular highs, and some equally disappointing lows, and his life outside the ring would turn out to be no less dramatic. 

It is fitting then that “When the Gloves Came Off “is a full octane ride, from start to finish, and pulls no punches.

Billy takes us from his humble beginnings in East London, through to the discovery of the fortune, which he made with his fists, and the ups and downs of his boxing career.  Billy’s career was very much a roller coaster ride, and to some extent, the fact that he was already a household name before he’d even had his first professional fight worked against him, as he had little chance of developing slowly as a fighter, and learning his trade away from the critical eye of the press. With just 34 amateur fights behind him, he was put in with relatively tough opponent’s right from the beginning. Yet, despite an often-critical press, Billy always had the support of the fans and right up until his final professional fight was able to produce a sell-out show, almost irrespective of whom he was fighting.

Walker takes us through his boxing career fight by fight, and there are interesting insights into some of his biggest matches, and the triumphs and disappointments that he experienced within the ring. Billy also lived a swashbuckling life outside, as well as inside the ring, and he tells us of his various encounters with celebrities and his constant pursuit of a multitude of glamorous female companions. This was ‘the swinging 60s’ and Billy was certainly living life to the full.

Billy’s boxing career ended in 1969, and many boxers autobiographies tend to run out of steam once they reach the point where their fighting career has come to an end, however, this is not the case with ’When The Gloves Came Off.’ From the start of this book, it is clear that here is a many layered life story, rather than simply a one-dimensional tale of a fighters escapades inside and outside the boxing ring.

There is the underlying story of his relationship with his older brother, George, who goes from being his mentor and hero, to being a stranger. One theme of  ’When The Gloves Came Off’ is the price that sometimes comes with success, when money changes people and their relationships with those who were once so close to them. As a boxer and manager team, Billy and George Walker achieved great success together, with Billy being one of the most popular and biggest grossing boxers of his time, and George having the entrepreneurial brain to be able to put the money earned by Billy’s fists into fledgling businesses that were soon thriving. Yet in the end, the brothers paid for their joint success with their relationship. Billy’s thoughts on the loss of his previously close relationship with his brother, throughout the course of this book, are candid and at times, very poignant.

Billy pulls no punches in his recollections, and is brutally honest about his own failings, as well as those of the people around him. Despite all of his popularity and success, and the wealth that he accumulated throughout his boxing career, Billy found contentment in his personal life hard to achieve. At the same time, that his relationship with his brother George was breaking down irreconcilably, Billy was also going through two failed marriages. He recounts the trauma and anguish of these marriages with unflinching honesty. Then just when he seems to have found happiness and contentment in his third marriage, to a woman he has known since his fighting days, she was tragically diagnosed with cancer. Walker’s description of her brave, yet, ultimately losing battle with cancer is deeply moving.

This is a fast-paced, hard-hitting, autobiography, which will surprise you with its depth of tone and feelings. Billy Walker has lived a very full life, and he and Robin McGibbon have done a great job in putting it together onto the printed page. It is therefore not surprising that last year the film rights to “When the Gloves Came Off” were purchased by Los Angeles film producers, with expectations of bringing the book to the big screen. With the current popularity of boxing movies, it’s not hard to see how this autobiography has all the raw material needed to make a big hit on the big screen. 

This is a book that will interest most people even if they are not boxing fans, as more than anything else, it is a great rags to riches story, with the underlying theme that while money can buy most worldly objects, it cannot buy contentment or love, and that in the end, those two things are more valuable than any amount of money one can have in life.         

Copyright © 2015 The Boxing Glove, Inc. Peter Silkov Art. All Rights Reserved. Peter Silkov contributes to www.theboxingglove.com and www.theboxingtribune.com

 

Henry Cooper: The Tale of Enry’s Ammer

 

Remembering…Henry Cooper   May 3, 1934 - May 1, 2011

The Tale of Enry’s Ammer
By Peter Silkov

Few British sportsmen have enjoyed the popularity that Henry Cooper gained during his career.  “Our Enry” as Cooper was affectionately known by boxing fans, managed to transcend boxing and achieve the kind of lasting recognition and popularity that few other British fighters have come close to emulating, either before or since.  Cooper was one of only three people to win the BBC Sports personality of the year award twice (in 1967 and 1970.) He was also awarded an OBE in 1970, and in 2000, became the only boxer ever to receive a Knighthood. In terms of the popularity and recognition, which Cooper brought to the sport, and especially the domestic heavyweight division, few fighters have done more for the sport in this country during their careers. On pure ability, Cooper may not have been our greatest heavyweight ever, but he was actually a lot better than some people give him credit for being.

Style-wise, Cooper was a boxer-puncher, aggressive, with a crowd-pleasing mix of good boxing skill, and dynamite punching. Cooper was left-handed, which usually would have made him a southpaw boxer (meaning that he would fight with his right foot forward and leading with the right hand), but Southpaws were generally frowned upon in Copper’s era, especially heavyweight southpaws, so Copper was ’converted’ to an orthodox fighter. This resulted in Cooper developing a very formidable left jab and hook. His trademark punch was his left-hook, which he would fire in vicious uppercut-like swings. Cooper’s left-hook became known amongst his supporters as “Enry’s Ammer.” 

At around 185 to 190 pounds at his best, Cooper was never a very big heavyweight, but he compensated for this with good mobility and fast hands. He often had to give away weight during his career.

Henry Cooper was born on May 3, 1934, (along with his twin brother George) in Lambeth, London. Cooper excelled at sport and was soon learning to box along with his twin brother George. During an amateur career at Eltham Amateur Boxing Club, Cooper compiled a record of 73-11 and won the ABA light-heavyweight championship in 1952 and 1953, before turning professional in 1954, along with George (who fought under the name of Jim, as there was already a George Cooper boxing at heavyweight.)

Managed by the wily Jim Wicks, the Cooper's gained publicity early in their professional careers due to them being fighting twins. It soon became clear that of the two, Henry was the one with the most talent. George would suffer from cuts to an even greater degree than Henry, and he would never come close to achieving the success of his brother inside the ring. Success would not come easy to Henry either.  Following a promising start, where he went 14-2 in his first 2 years as a professional, Cooper went 1-5-1 in seven fights between late 1956 and early 1958. Included in this run of mostly defeats was three title fights in a row; all of which Cooper lost. 

On September 7, 1956, Peter Bates stopped Henry in the 5th round, due to a badly cut eyebrow. Cuts for Henry would prove to be his Achilles heel for the duration of his career.

Five months after his loss to Bates, Cooper challenged Joe Bygraves for the Commonwealth heavyweight championship, and was knocked in the 9th round. 3 months later, Cooper took on Ingemar Johansson for the European heavyweight title and was knocked out in the 5th round.  Four months after the loss to Johansson, on September 17, 1957, Cooper faced Joe Eskine and was out-pointed over 15 rounds.

Cooper was then 1-1-1 in his next three fights, including a disqualification defeat to Erich Schoppener. Such a run of defeats, especially at championship level would have been enough to finish many fighters, or at least reduce their championship ambitions.  Henry, however, bounced back with some of the best wins of his career, beating Dick Richardson and Zora Folley in late 1958. Cooper’s point’s victory over Folley on October 14, 1958, was one of the best results of his career, with Folley being one of the top heavyweights in the world, who at the time was being avoided by many of the other top heavyweights, including the world champion Floyd Patterson.

The victories over Richardson and Folley catapulted Henry right back into title contention, and on January 12, 1959, Cooper won the British and Commonwealth heavyweight titles, when he beat Brian London on points after a bloody and brutal classic brawl. It was the beginning of Henry Cooper’s record breaking reign as British and Commonwealth heavyweight champion. He would defend the British title a record 10 times in the next 12 years, winning 3 Lonsdale belts in the process. In this time Cooper would also make 11 defences of the Commonwealth title, and win the European championship 3 times. Coopers exciting defences during the 60s brought a level of popularity and recognition to Britain’s domestic heavyweight scene, seldom seen before, or since. Cooper defended his titles against Joe Erskine, Dick Richardson, Brian London, Johnny Prescott, Jack Bodell, Karl Mildenberger, Jose Manuel Urtain, and Billy Walker. 

During this time, Cooper also took part in a number of non-title fights, suffering a set back in late 1961when he was knocked out in the 2nd round in a rematch with Zora Folley. Cooper, however, gained wins over Wayne Bethea, Roy Harris, and Alex Miteff.

On June 18, 1963, Cooper took on the rising star and future World heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali (then still Cassius Clay), at Wembly Stadium, London. In what has become an iconic contest in British boxing folklore, Cooper floored Ali at the end of round 4, only to see the American saved by the bell. The fight was then ended in the next round when Ali launched a furious attack upon Cooper, forcing the referee to stop the contest due to Cooper badly cut left eye. Ever since it has been wondered what would have happened had Enry’s Ammer floored Ali earlier in the 4th round, rather than near the end of it? Certainly Cooper had Ali more hurt than just about anytime during his career, aside from his first fight with Joe Frazier when he was floored in the 15th and final round.

Cooper faced Ali for a second time, on June 21, 1966, at the Arsenal Football stadium, watched by a crowd of over 46,000. This time round, Ali boxed cautiously until he opened a cut over Cooper’s left eye in the 6th round, which led to the almost immediate stoppage of the fight, as Cooper’s eye gushed blood at an alarming rate. 

Henry’s fights with Ali cemented his popularity with the public and gained for him widespread respect within the boxing world.

On March 16, 1971, Cooper was controversially out-pointed by a young Joe Bugner, in a fight that still raises controversy today. Cooper had said before the fight that he would retire after it, win, lose, or draw. After a very close contest, the referee Harry Gibbs gave the fight to Bugner, and Cooper had lost his British, European, and Commonwealth heavyweight title. Cooper never did fight again, retiring with a final record of 40(27koes)-14-1.In his retirement, Cooper remained as popular as ever, often appearing as a pundit on boxing shows, as well as being involved in many other sporting and celebrity events, such as cricket and golf. 

Henry Cooper died on May 1, 2011.

Copyright © 2015 The Boxing Glove, Inc. Peter Silkov Art. All Rights Reserved. Peter Silkov contributes to www.theboxingglove.com and www.theboxingtribune.com.