By Mike Chiari
Undefeated WBO International Heavyweight champion Tyson Fury may be on the verge of the biggest fight of his career, but he has a major obstacle standing in his way in the form of Christian Hammer.
The Romanian-born Hammer rides a 10-fight winning streak into his clash with Fury, and he could very well be the first boxer to blemish the 6'9" Brit's perfect record.
On the heels of a dominant victory over Dereck Chisora, though, Fury is arguably performing at a higher level than ever before. Hammer may be a formidable opponent, but there are few heavyweights in the world who can measure up to Fury right now.
With their bout in London quickly approaching, here is everything you need to know about when and where to catch Fury versus Hammer.
When: Saturday, Feb. 28 at 2 p.m. ET and 7 p.m. GMT
Where: O2 Arena in North Greenwich, London, England
TV: BoxNation
Live Stream: BoxNation (subscription required and region restricted)
About Tyson Fury
With a record of 23-0, Fury is one of the fastest-rising stars in a heavyweight division that has long been stagnant. Perhaps the biggest money fight possible in terms of heavyweights right now would be a meeting between Fury and multi-title world champion Wladimir Klitschko.
That fight may be next on tap, but Fury is aware of the fact that he has a tough test in front of him before he can get to that point, according to ESPN.com's Dan Rafael.
I could have taken an easy job at the O2 Arena to keep my position safe for my world title fight against Klitschko, but that's not what Tyson Fury is about or what the public want to see from someone who has promised from day one to win the world heavyweight title. ... On paper, it's a dangerous job against Hammer. He's highly ranked, he brings a big punch with him, he'll have ambitions of his own to beat me and grab himself a world title shot against Klitschko, and I'm sure he'll be full of confidence coming over here.
While Fury has acknowledged that Hammer is a tough customer, he has also downplayed the threat by suggesting that the 27-year-old resident of Germany isn't at his level, per Tom Gray of The Ring.
Hammer has decent footwork and he punches well in combination but a good stiff hook to the jaw will sort that out. I want to stay busy and I'm looking forward to getting back in there, but I'm not really bothered about any of these heavyweights at the moment. I want to fight because that’s what I get paid for.
Fury is never lacking in terms of confidence, and he even made a prediction ahead of Saturday's fight by telling Hammer that he intends to knock him out in the early stages, according to Frank Warren of Queensberry Promotions:
Among Fury's 23 victories, 17 of them have come by way of knockout. Twelve of Hammer's 20 fights have ended early as well, so the odds would seem to be in favor of a stoppage.
Fury certainly seems to have the advantage as he is seven inches taller than Hammer. That means the big Brit should be able to hold Hammer back with his jab for much of the encounter.
Hammer will need to find a way inside in order to do damage, but that is something that few of Fury's opponents have been able to manage.
Hammer's profile isn't as celebrated as Fury's, but the rough-and-tumble brawler is currently in the midst of the best streak of his career.
He has won 10 straight fights after enduring a two-match losing streak in 2010, and he truly has nothing to lose against Fury as a win could put him in position for even bigger fights moving forward.
While few are seemingly giving Hammer a realistic chance to come out on top against his heavily favored opponent, the underdog isn't lacking in confidence by any means.
According to BoxNation.com, Hammer believes he will not only knock out Fury but also steal his potential bout with Klitschko.
Tyson Fury will not go the distance against me, he will be getting knocked out clean and left to pick up the pieces after the fight. He cannot hurt me with his punches because I'm in the best shape of my career for this fight. He will not last against me.
(...) I've taken this fight because I know I can get the Klitschko world title fight when I beat Fury. Klitschko is talking about fighting Fury, but he will be talking about my name once I knock out Fury.
Despite Hammer's assertion, Fury is so confident that he will remain upright that he has vowed to retire from boxing if he gets knocked out Saturday, per Chris McKenna of The Daily Star.
Once you get done over there's no point in carrying on. It's not just me I'm thinking about. I've got a wife and kids. Do I need to be taking punishment where I end up in a wheelchair or something like that? All the money or 50 million titles are not going to mean anything if I'm sat there drooling from the mouth. I want to make what I can while I can, as fast as I can and get out of it and enjoy what I've got left.
Perhaps Fury's comments will serve as added motivation for Hammer since it is clear that his opponent doesn't believe he has the chops needed to take him down.
The odds clearly aren't in Hammer's favor due to the size disadvantage, but there is no doubt that much bigger upsets have occurred over the course of boxing history.
It can be argued that factors are working against Fury due to the added pressure of fighting in front of his home crowd with a shot at the top heavyweight in the world on the line.
Those types of intangibles are always unknowns entering a boxing match since it all comes down to how a fighter handles them internally.
Based on the success that Fury has enjoyed, though, he should have the mettle necessary to block it out and focus on the task at hand.
Hammer has plenty of spunk and won't go down without a fight, but Fury's size and power advantage will ultimately prove to be too much.
The underdog will hang in there for a while; however, he will ultimately be stopped in the form of a seventh-round knockout.
