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Tony "The Tiger" Thompson, 31-1 (19), finally gets his shot at the heavyweight title Saturday when he faces IBF/WBO/IBO champion Wladimir Klitschko, 50-3 (44).
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The fight will be held at the Color Line Arena in Klitschko country of Hamburg, Germany, and televised live on HBO at 4:30 p.m. ET, with a replay at 10:00 p.m.
Thompson, who will turn 37 in October, won the WBO eliminator for the right to a title shot a year ago. Some, including this writer, cynically wondered if the politics of boxing would deny Thompson his shot. Thompson's promoter, Dan Goossen, once wrote me that he "would fight to the death for Tony to get his opportunity," which to his credit he did until justice was served.
Tony is a late bloomer, turning pro at the relatively advanced age of 28, after only a year and 16 fights as an amateur. So he is a well-preserved 36 with fewer than 50 bouts in his pro/amateur career.
He lost a four-round decision in his fifth fight in 2000 and hasn't lost since. In those early days, he was a diamond in the rough, with the late start and inexperience to overcome, but he gradually has developed into a technically sound boxer with a good jab and deceptively good power.
In an interview last week at the home in suburban Washington D.C. that he shares with his wife of eight years and seven children, Tony shared some of his thoughts on the fight, his opponent and other matters.
Thompson credits Klitschko for stepping up and fighting him, and he has a great deal of respect for the champion, who is a 6-1 favorite.
"Klitschko is a great fighter. He's the best heavyweight in the world at this moment, and he's got height, excellent speed and power," Thompson said. "I think it's going to be a tough fight all the way around. There's going to be a lot of punches thrown and it's going to go down the stretch.
"I think my odds look pretty good. I'm going to go there and shoot my shot."
Thompson concedes that there were times when he had doubts as to whether the fight would ever take place.
"I wouldn't say I was impatient, but I was frustrated because I thought I wasn't going to get my opportunity," he said. "I thought they were going to try everything they could to keep me from that opportunity."
The interesting thing about Thompson in this fight is that he has spent the majority of his career flying under the radar and still is best known only to the more hardcore fans. But this is a guy who truly has a chance to pull off an upset.
Tony says that the role of underdog suits him just fine.
