Tyson Fury gets back in the ring on Saturday. Does he look like he’s moving well defensively for a guy that’s 6-9 and 270?

(The drills start about 5:00).

‘Course, he’s only the second best Pikey Puncher of the 21st Century…

-Shep

Shep, I have only seen this man fight once and don't know anything about his background. My boxing viewing has been limited to videos sent to me in this fashion and my coaching is only a once a week thing at this point.

Look how big he us in this ring!

The padded tube routine is a good way of dealing with a fighter that size. You really can't properly work the mitts for anyone taller and stronger than you, so they do meet-and-greet drills, which are not good for his timing. I recently bailed on training a guy this size because I couldn't physically do it and don't have men his size that could move to help.

As for his style, men this tall can get away with the upperbody hip fade he does, leaning back and away, they can also get away with a low lead hand which makes for a nasty rising jab. What is most remarkable is that his style is quintisentially American—very much in the mold of The Cincinatti Cobra, Ezzard Charles with some Willie Pep in his step. His best move is the safety pivot, which unfortunately takes him to the right. Against shorter hookers and tall mechanical beasts like the Ukrainian he unseated, I think he is safe to work his trickery in the ring. I would worry against a man like Deontay Wilder who is wild and reaching with speed.

It is also of interest that he seems to train with MMA fighters and coaches. The weakness in his style is lack of rightward mobility. Tim Witherspoon would take his head off. He is forever moving left where his guard is low. I'd like to se him move right behind his high hand just as often and counter with his shovel hook, which seems to be nicely knitted into his mechanics.

On the social level, Tyson Fury has obviously failed to attract interest from HBO and other American-based networks based on his political incorectness. It will be interesting to see if the media world ever warms up to him after his nativist statements. To test that, though, he must win.

As a side note, the form shown by Fury would work better for bareknuckle fighting and translate efectively, and in short order, into knife or stick fighting.