By: William Holmes
On Saturday night Top Rank Promotions in association with Frank Warren’s Queensberry Promotions will bring the lineal world heavyweight champion, Tyson Fury, to Las Vegas to meet undefeated challenger Tom Schwarz.
Fury will be competing at the MGM Grand Garden Arena and this card will be streamed live on ESPN+.
The co-main event of the evening will be between Jesse “Hard Work” Hart and Sullivan Barrera in the light heavyweight division.
The undercard will be shown on ESPN+ and will feature boxers such as Mikaela Mayer, Lizbeth Crespo, Andy Vences, Isaac Lowe, and Guido Vianello.
The following is a preview of the co-main event and main event of the evening.
Jesse Hart (25-2) vs. Sullivan Barrera (22-2); Light Heavyweight Division
This will be Jesse Hart’s first fight in the light heavyweight division after spending his career in the super middleweight division. He’ll have a tough fight in front of him as Sullivan Barrera has spent most of his career fighting in the light heavyweight division.
Hart is eight years younger than Barrera, who is currently thirty seven years old. Hart will also have a one inch height advantage and a four and a half inch reach advantage.
Both boxers have been fairly active the past two years. Hart fought four times in 2018 and twice in 2017, while Barrera fought twice in 2018 and three times in 2017.
Hart appears to have an edge in power, as he has stopped twenty one of his opponents while Barrera has stopped fourteen.
Both boxers had successful amateur careers. Hart was an Olympic alternate and a National Golden Gloves Champion. Barrera was a World Junior Championship Gold Medalist.
Hart’s two losses were close ones to Gilberto Ramirez. His wins have come against the likes of Mike Gavronski, Demon Nicholson, Alan Campa, Andrew Hernandez, and Mike Jiminez.
Barrera has defeated the likes of Sean Monaghan, Felix Valera, Joe Smith Jr., Vyacheslav Shabranskyy, Karo Murat, and Jeff Lacy. His losses were to Andre Ward and Dmitry Bivol.
With Barrera pushing 40, it’s hard to imagine him being in the same kind of physical condition he was in when he beat Karo Murat and Jeff Lacy. However, he does have the better professional resume and has been in the ring with better boxers than Jesse Hart.
This fight will likely be a close one, but this writer has to give a slight edge to Hart based on age.
Tyson Fury (27-0-1) vs. Tom Schwarz (24-0); Heavyweight Division
Tyson Fury is one of the heavyweight divisions biggest attractions, and with the recent loss by Anthony Joshua it appears a rematch with Deontay Wilder should happen in the future.
However, Fury first has to get past the undefeated and largely not well known Tom Schwarz.
Fury is thirty years old and still in his athletic prime. Schwarz is twenty five years old, but still relatively untested.
Fury appears to have more power than Schwarz as he has stopped nineteen of his opponents while Schwarz has stopped sixteen. Fury will have a three and a half inch height advantage.
Fury fought three times in 2018, but did not fight at all in 2017 or in 2016. Schwarz fought once in 2019, four times in 2018, and twice in 2017.
Fury has an edge in amateur experience as he had success on the European Circuit. Schwarz does not have the amateur pedigree of Tyson Fury.
Fury looks like he is in great shape and has remained in the gym since his draw with Deontay Wilder. He has beaten the likes of Francesco Pianeta, Sefer Seferi, Wladimir Klitschko, Dereck Chisora, Steve Cunningham, Kevin Johnson, and Vinny Maddalone.
Schwarz does not have the professional resume of Tyson Fury. He has beaten the likes of Kristijan Krstacic, Julian Fernandez, Senad Gashi, Samir Nebo, and Adnan Redzovic. None of these fighters are considered top level contenders.
This should be an easy fight for Fury to bounce back from after his draw with Wilder, and it’s hard to imagine Schwarz derailing Fury in Schwarz’s first fight in the United States.
All signs point to Tyson Fury winning the fight comfortably and by a wide margin.
