By Ian S Palmer
Undefeated heavyweight Tyson Fury of England will be taking on Christian Hammer of Hamburg, Germany on Saturday, Feb. 28 at the O2 Arena in London, England. The 12-round bout for Fury’s WBO International Heavyweight Championship can be seen live in the UK on BoxNation. Fury needs to win this bout if he hopes to get a shot at WBA, WBO and IBF heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko.
The 26-year-old Fury will climb into the ring with a perfect record of 23-0 with 17 Kos while the 27-year-old Hammer has a 17-3 mark with 10 Kos to his name. Fury has the edge in power in this matchup, but his chin is questionable so that could equal things out. Hammer has decent power, but he’s not actually regarded as a home-run hitter. The biggest advantage Fury seems to have over most of his opponents is his height of 6-feet-9-inches. He also has an 85-inch reach. Hammer is 6-foot-2 and has an unlisted reach. Fury has gone 126 rounds as a pro while Hammer has 99 rounds under his belt.
Fury isn’t an elite boxer by any stretch of the imagination, but he always seems to get the job done. His stamina, passion for the sport, and defence have been questioned since turning pro back in 2008. He’s gotten by this far because he hasn’t met an elite opponent as of yet and he won’t be facing one in Hammer on Saturday night either. Hammer knows he’s in for a tough test against the big Brit, but has predicted that he’s going to stop Fury. He told the media, “Fury will not go the distance against me. He will be getting knocked out clean and left to pick up the pieces after the fight. He cannot hurt me with his punches because I’m in the best shape of my career for this fight, and he will not last against me.”
Hammer has faced the likes Kevin Johnson, Danny Williams, and Mariusz Wach. His three losses came against Wach by sixth-round Ko in 2010, Taras Bidenko by sixth-round majority decision in 2010, and by a first-round stoppage to Robert Gregor in his pro debut back in 2008. Hammer’s last knockout win came in 2013 and he’s going to need to land a series of heavy shots to knock Fury down and keep him on the canvas. If there is anything admirable about Fury it’s his recovery powers and the fact he picks himself up after getting dropped.
Fury has some boxing skills and is tough to get close to once he establishes his jab. He’s got a huge size advantage over his opponent and that should carry him to a victory as long as his chin holds up. Hammer simply needs to get inside Fury’s jab and well, like his name, hammer away to Fury’s body as well as his head. If he lands one or two clean blows right on the button then there’s a chance of Fury falling. Of course, Hammer’s chin will also have to stand the test for this scenario to take place.
Prediction
Look for Hammer to have his moments in this fight, but Fury will control most rounds with his reach and height advantages. Once he gets his jab going it’s going to be tougher for Hammer to land any clean blows. Fury could hit the deck himself if he isn’t careful, but he’s likely to keep his minor belt by decision or late stoppage.
