Tyson Fury outpointed Derek Chisora in London’s Wembley Arena to become the new British and Commonwealth Heavyweight Champion. Fury who stands tall at 6ft 9inch used a eight inch height advantage and superior reach to good effect, working well behind the jab for large portions of the fight. Such was his dominance that all three judges gave him the victory by a lopsided margin, with scores of 117-112,117-112, 118-111. Inside Fights had it 117-110 for Fury.
Fury had been the underdog going into the fight against a champion in Chisora who was twice on the brink of challenging Wladimir Klitschko for the IBF, WBO and Ring titles. The ten month layoff that resulted from the younger Klitschko’s two withdrawals had not been put to good use by the controversial Del Boy who mentally froze on the biggest stage of his career and in a fight broadcast on network television in Britain and worldwide on Integrated Sports Pay Per View. Too often though Chisora looked barely interested in the fight, listlessly allowing Fury to dictate with tactics that he should have predicted and properly prepared for.
Much like the brothers who dominate the division Fury was keen to avoid engaging on the inside, fighting at distance where possible and often holding when Chisora sought to move inside. Having weighed in at a career-high 261Ibs Chisora lacked the energy to outwork his larger adversary and only exploded into life in rare spurts, most notably the second and tenth rounds where he looked to have hurt Fury after showing speed and power when letting his hands go. But Fury stood up well to these all-too brief onslaughts, maintaining the composure and discipline necessary to secure a well-deserved victory. The win leaves the former English champion as the confirmed king of the domestic scene in the UK but only time will tell whether he will be able to land one of the many big money matches that were mooted for the winner in the build up to this match.
