Tyson Fury pulled off a stunning upset as a nearly 4-to-1 underdog against longtime heavyweight kingpin Wladimir Klitschko, and now he’ll have to do it all over again. The former Ukrainian champ, who held the belt for nearly 10 years, has evoked his contractual right to a rematch. This time, early lines from oddsmakers are much closer.
Boxing odds at BookMaker.eu
Tyson Fury -105
Wladimir Klitschko -125
Over/under TBD
ODDS ANALYSIS
Klitschko comes out as the early favorite, although the money lines are nearly even. It’s tough to predict which way this will swing, as Klitschko didn’t look like himself. What we do know is that Fury won’t come at a discount again.
CAN KLITSCHKO BOUNCE BACK?
Klitschko’s announcement came just two days after his upset loss. And by all accounts, it looks like Fury’s team is itching to cement his status as the undisputed champ. His promoter, Mick Hennessy, relayed their excitement.
“We relish that option [to rematch Klitschko]. There’s no bigger fight than fighting Wladimir again. Wilder is nowhere near as big. Glazkov? Come on. He’s an unknown. He doesn’t bring anything to the table in any way shape or form. We were worried that Wladimir wouldn’t take the rematch. We are delighted. It’s good that Wladimir made the decision quickly. We can strike while the iron’s hot.”
For once, a promoter is speaking the truth. There is a ton of interest in a rematch after Fury pulled off one of the biggest heavyweight upsets in recent memory. In stark contrast, outside of Germany and the U.K., there was hardly any media coverage leading up to their first encounter. Now there will be plenty of casual interest in seeing whether Fury is for real.
It’s impossible to say why Klitschko had so much trouble with Fury. You could tell he was clearly bothered by Fury’s size, as the former champ had never faced anyone that was so much taller and longer.
The biggest factor seemed to be Klitschko’s age. The 39-year old suddenly looked old in the ring. He looked sluggish and was outhustled in nearly every round. Fury, at 27, just stayed busier, and really didn’t do too much else. There was no point in the fight where either fighter was in serious trouble.
THE SMART PLAYS
At this point, it’s impossible to choose a winner. On one hand, there is a real possibility that Wladimir is simply too old to compete at the highest level anymore. But it’s doubtful that he would put on such a horrible performance in a rematch. His famed right hand stayed loaded for most of the bout and he never really fired it.
Oddsmakers seem to be thinking that this was just an off-night for Klitschko, hence his status as a slight favorite, but I’m not sure I’d want to bet on a 40-year old fighter who looked old. Father Time is undefeated, and Klitschko might soon become another victim.
HOW TO BET
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