Tyson Fury is in camp in his beloved Morecambe to prepare for a scrap with Derek Chisora on December 3 – and he’s just flown in a new sparring partner he believes will be able to help.
Alan Babic is 11 fights into his career, undefeated, and has 10 knockouts. Whilst his level of competition is still in its early stages, his swarming and relentless style hasn’t been denied so far.
Rumoured to soon be fighting for a title in the WBC’s latest, and in many eyes unnecessary, division – Bridgerweight – he has the chance to learn from one of the best in the world.
According to ‘The Savage’, he got the call from Team Fury and was in England the next day. He told Seconds Out about the arrangement.
“They called me yesterday ‘oh do you want some work?’ They seen my style is similar to Chisora’s. They’re right. I said yes, and they sent me a ticket and I’m here. I’m already in Morecambe Bay and I’m ready to fight. So from yesterday, Croatia, today in Morecambe. It’s that easy with me. I don’t want to wait for nobody. That’s why I came here. I could be home and be waiting for that big fight, but I don’t like that. I want boxing to be my job.”
Fury was in public negotiations with Anthony Joshua before making the Chisora fight, which has contributed to backlash from fans about the matchmaking. The man himself certainly doesn’t agree, and Babic is the same – even comparing it to the ‘Thrilla in Manila.’
“I’d pick maybe Tyson Fury because of his awkwardness, because everybody would pick him. But you can never count Derek Chisora out. You saw what he did to [Oleksandr] Usyk in the first round. It was ‘wow’. So he can do the same to Tyson Fury.”
“The fight is perfect for both of them in their stages of career. I think it’s perfect fight. They are on a bit of a downward spiral but they match perfectly. Like Joe Frazier and Muhammad Ali, the third fight. It was the best fight I ever saw.”
That’s one way to look at it. It’s just one month until fans descend on the Tottenham Hostpur Stadium to witness how Babic’s work in the gym might form Fury’s game plan for Chisora. Never mind Thrilla in Manila, it’s time to find out what occurs at spurs…