Nicknamed Steel Hammer by his countrymen.
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The pair clash for the WBA, WBO and IBF titles at the 55,000-capcity Esprit Arena with 39-year-old Klitschko (64-3) an odds-on favourite to successfully defend his crown against undefeated 27-year-old Fury (24-0).
“I will know when it is time”, said Klitschko. “There is nothing else that we could have done in camp”, said John, who fought as Gypsy John on the harshest of boxing circuits when he was a professional. If he opens up the bout, Fury can then try to pull him into a knock-down, drag-out fight. However, fans and viewers could wait a little longer while the announcements and national anthems for each fighters’ country are played.
In truth, the rest of the world hasn’t down very well in that department, either. Sometimes fighters grow old overnight. And going into this fight, the safe and more logical pick is obviously Klitschko: too much power, too much experience and too much discipline. “Like Drago, Klitschko is a sculpted 6′-7” and around 250 pounds and, of course, speaks Russian (in Klitschko’s case, he also speaks English, German and Ukrainian). But that’s where the comparison ends.
Before these two go at it over in Germany on Saturday, it was time for the two behemoths to get on the scale for the weigh-in.
Klitschko weighed 245.8 lbs.
He is an historian of the sport – and a man determined follow in the footsteps of his heavyweight heroes like Muhammad Ali and Mike Tyson. Styles make fights and for the first time in Wladimir’s career, he’s facing a man with a jab at least equal to his own ramrod left, who outreaches him by four inches.
“This is finally the start of championship boxing for me”, he said. Despite his claims that he’ll take the fight to Klitschko, I expect him to box at range, possibly from the southpaw stance, looking to land the jab and then stun Waldimir with a big punch. “She never got outta the amateurs”. Out of his 24 wins, an impressive 18 have been by knockout.
The champion, nicknamed Dr Steelhammer, sees Fury as “a clown” with a “few screws loose” who needs “therapy”, which the Ukrainain plans to administer in the ring.
“You’re an old man, you’re getting knocked out”. “I feel like I’ve lived a hundred lives – this is just boxing”.
“It will be great to see Klitschko have to deal with someone that’s taller, bigger and who is also an awkward customer”.
For his part, Klitschko has played the part of the gentleman in the run-up to the match.
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“There is just nothing that I see that Wladimir does that makes me afraid or makes me think that I can’t win against this guy”.
