Tyson Fury got away with a blatant right elbow to the head of Francis Ngannou in the sixth round last Saturday night that many fans believe should have resulted in a point deduction or a disqualification.
It was a foul that was so obvious on Fury’s part that it was hard to believe that the referee, Michael Griffin, didn’t step in and take a point away on the spot, which would have changed the results of the fight from a 10 round split decision for Tyson to a draw.
It’s difficult for people to believe that the referee didn’t see the elbow from Fury because he looked so obvious. You’d have to be blind or not looking in the direction of the two fighters not to see it.
You can argue that Fury’s elbow was done out of frustration, as he’d been dropped in the third by Ngannou, and he was taking a lot of hard left hook counters when he’d throw.
Fury wasn’t in the best shape, as he’d gotten really fat since his last fight ten months ago against Derek Chisora, and he didn’t trim off all the weight. You could tell from looking at the emaciated appearance of Fury’s face and upper body he’d lose the weight too quickly, sacrificing muscle but not losing all the fat.
It’s no secret that Fury has gotten away with bending the rules in his fights by shoving, throwing rabbit punches, low blows, excessive leaning on his opponents, and the referees just let it take place.
Some would argue that the referees saved Fury from being knocked out in his first and third fights with Deontay Wilder. They also could have disqualified Fury for fouling Wilder repeatedly in their second fight, hitting him with shots behind the head and low blows.
Should Fury been penalized for elbowing Ngannou?
“No damage was caused. I don’t know if the ref [saw it]. On the slow motion replay, you could clearly see that he went in for the elbow, but during the fight, nobody sees that,” said trainer Robert Garcia to ESNEWS about the elbow that Tyson Fury clobbered Francis Ngannou with in the sixth round last Saturday and wasn’t penalized.
There was damage because by Fury getting away with the elbow without being penalized or DQ’d, and he won the fight. So, it hurt Ngannou because he was fouled, and no point was taken away.
“This one was clearly an elbow [from Fury]. You could tell. It was clearly on purpose. There’s nothing you can do about it,” said Robert about nothing can be done because the referee didn’t see Fury hit Ngannou with his elbow.
“I think it was,’ said Robert about the elbow being a dirty move on Fury’s part. “The bottom line, he looked like s**t. He didn’t look good.
“He’ll be in shape for Usyk. He’s still very strong, very tricky, dirty because he holds and he uses his body,” Robert said about Fury. “That’s why I say he’s going to be trouble for anybody because he uses his body, pushes, and now we know he elbows.
“This guy [Ngannou] was so focused that he almost pulled it off. Maybe he’ll fight Anthony Joshua. I think Joshua will knock him out. He’ll fight Wilder, and he’ll knock him out.
“Andy [Ruiz] will beat him up, and he’ll make another ten to fifteen million dollars, so good for him. Anthony Joshua will kill him [Ngannou], Wilder will kill him. All those big heavyweights should beat him. It was just Fury, who was totally out of shape,” said Robert.
Fury’s punch resistance = gone
“So, he is going to be a very tricky fighter. I’ve always said that he could beat Usyk just because of the strength, and he’s just so big. The way he looked Saturday, there’s no chance he could beat Usyk,’ said Robert.
Fury hasn’t fought a lot of good heavyweights, so you can’t congratulate him on him being tricky. He’s only fought Wladimir Klitschko & Deontay Wilder. All the rest of the guys Fury has fought were ham & eggers like Chisora, Dillian Whyte and Otto Wallin.
“When you get dropped a couple of times earlier in your career, 20, 21, it doesn’t affect that much. Whatever he does at 35, it’s time for somebody to beat him,” Robert said about Fury, who was dropped by Ngannou in the third and hurt in the eighth. “This guy almost beat him.
Fury was dropped four times by Wilder, and knocked down last Saturday night. His punch resistance isn’t what it once was, and would have been knocked out by Ngannou if he connected on more of his shots.
“Talent-wise, he’s not very good, but as a heavyweight, he’s so big, he’s tricky, he uses his strength, holding, pushing, whatever it is,” said Robert. “That makes him good. He’s not very talented. I’ve told you guys that Anthony Joshua is the most talented fighter in the heavyweight division.
“Anthony Joshua is the most talented fighter. Everybody picks Tyson Fury over Joshua, but in reality, Anthony Joshua is more talented than him.
“I think he’ll beat him by a decision,” said Robert about Usyk, picking him to beat Fury. “I think Anthony Joshua, from Fury’s performance. I think Joshua will knock him out right now.
“I know how hard he hits. I know he’ll pick the right moment and boom and hurt him and knock him out. The way he [Fury] looked [last Saturday night], that way. The way he looked, Anthony Joshua knocks him out with one punch,” said Robert.
