Old foe tips Fury to take it on points

THE only fighter considered to have beaten Tyson Fury as a professional believes his onetime rival is ready to out-point Deontay Wilder.

John McDermott was controversially scored the loser when he largely outfought the then inexperienced Fury in 2009, forcing the undefeated former world heavyweight champion into what remains his toughest fight.

A rivalry that captured the imagination of both the boxing and travelling communities like Fury, the 37-year-old McDermott is also of travelling stock - only concluded the following year when Fury adapted and improved to win in nine rounds.

If McDermott had undermined the reputation of an already-promising fighter, his own has since grown with Fury’s impressive accomplishments.

On Saturday at Los Angeles’ Staples Center, Fury challenges the heavy-handed Wilder - and despite concerns about his inactivity and still maintaining he beat him, McDermott has predicted Fury will win once again.

“The only thing against him is he’d had a long lay-off (of almost three years), and he’s not boxed anywhere near the class he needs to now,” he said.

“If he’d had another two fights, a bit of a step-up in class - but I still think he’s going to win on points.

“Fury’s not a renowned knockout specialist like (Anthony) Joshua or Wilder, but his boxing skills are too good for both of them.

“If anybody can beat both of them it’s Fury. Not because of his punching power - because he’s very quick, he’s awkward, he’s tall. He knows how to use his height.

“What he did (in 2015 to Wladimir) Klitschko was a bit embarrassing, wasn’t it? They were talking as though the man was unbeatable, and Tyson just wiped the floor with him. I didn’t think he had a chance, that Klitschko would land a big shot and that’d be it.

“Fury’s also been down, got up and found a way to win.”

It was before his fights with McDermott that Fury’s trashtalking was brought to the attention of a wider public.