It's Business Time for Tony 'The Tiger' Thompson
When Tony "The Tiger" Thompson enters the ring in Hamburg, Germany on Saturday, he will be fighting for his family and his future, but he won't be fighting because of any love of the sport. From the Post:
I really don't like to train for boxing. I'm just good at it. It's what I do to make a living. If I had my choices of making a living, I'm not one of those people who would say boxing. ... Boxing was so far down the list for me.Thompson is a District native who started boxing at a late age, and at 36 he is finally getting his shot -- a shot he earned by knocking out Luan Krasniqi in a fight last year. He will face Ukrainian Wladimir Klitschko for the WBO, IBF, and IBO titles.
Most people see this is an easy win for Klitschko. He has experience on his side, and is considered to be the best heavyweight fighting right now. Thompson has had to practically beg for every fight he has had, and consequently has not faced the quality of opponents that Klitschko has. Still, there are some who see Thompson's size, style, and the fact the he is left handed as potentially giving Klitschko problems. Thompson is also a fairly active heavyweight, and has a jab that can match Klitschko's. Ron Borges has the best rundown of the fight that I have read so far.
After criticism following his victory against Sultan Ibragimov, expect Klitschko to try to win this fight decisively. Wlad is not going to want a repeat of his last match, and he may press to silence his critics. Thompson is an excellent defensive fighter, and if Klitschko presses too hard, there is a good chance that Thompson could pull out the upset. If Klitschko stays back, and tries to fight the staid tactical fight that he is known for, look for Thompson to attack Klitschko. The problem is that Thompson is not known for his power, and it is always difficult to take away a title on a decision. Either way, given that Thompson is relatively unknown and that the fight is in Germany, The Tiger is going to have to knock out Klitschko to win the fight.
For someone who doesn't love boxing, will it be tough to muster the passion needed to pull out the toughest fight of his career?
"How much is [Klitschko] willing to give it, compared to how much am I willing to give it to get air conditioning in my house in July? I'm willing to give it all."This is where Tony's real advantage lies. The question is, will it be enough? People may find Klitschko boring, but he is an excellent boxer, and, more importantly, a smart boxer. Thompson will have to have the fight of his life to prevail.
The fight airs on HBO at on Saturday at 4:30 p.m., and re-airs at 10 p.m. There is plenty more information over at Boxing Along the Beltway.