Fury vs Pacquiao: Who is the best singer?

Sport360 staff 10:43 30/11/2015
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  • Fury proved he can sing in Dusseldorf but is he better than Manny?

    Tyson Fury’s winning singsong in Dusseldorf at the weekend raised a serious question: Is boxing’s new WBA, IBF, WBO, IBO and The Ring unified heavyweight champion a better singer than Filipino ace Manny Pacquiao?

    It is a close contest between the two of them but here is Sport360’s verdict on who comes out on top.

    TYSON FURY

    Just moments after winning a heavyweight blockbuster and giving an impromptu post-fight speech in the ring, Fury showed remarkable composure and confidence, not that he was ever lacking in that, to put in a better-than-karoake performance and sing Aerosmith’s 1998 power ballad ‘I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing’.

    And he did well to just about keep his emotions in check, especially as he dedicated the hit to his pregnant wife Paris – while he could also surely still see loser Wladimir Klitschko out of the corner of his eye standing beside him.

     It wasn’t Fury’s first brush with a microphone, far from it. Ahead of his fight with Klitschko, the Wythenshawe-born fighter sent his own musical message to his opponent, courtesy of Bette Midler’s ‘Wind Beneath My Wings’. Fury has clearly demonstrated a penchant for big romantic numbers, while his subtle changing of the lyrics earns him extra kudos. 

    The self-styled ‘Gypsy King’ is also a self-confessed fan of ‘The King’ Elvis Presley. Here, the Manchester-born crooner (Fury, not Presley) tackles his hero’s track ‘In the Ghetto’ as one of his victory songs. It feels more meaningful than just PR stunt and, as a result, boosts his overall rating.

    Sport360 Singometer: 8/10 

    While there are a few bum notes, Tyson Fury can certainly hold a tune and must be commended on the emotion he puts behind each performance. 

    MANNY PACQUIAO

    The pound-for-pound king is well known for his dulcet tones and softer side outside of the ring. The 36-year-old’s love for singing is well documented and his first album, the 2006 record Laban Nating Lahat Ito, went platinum in the Philippines. 

    Here, ahead of his May showdown with Floyd Mayweather, is the Philippine House of Representatives member sharing his training experiences with fans, via the medium of music. 

    Pacquiao followed up his 2006 album with another in 2007, Pac-Man Punch, which again went down well with his massive following. He is a man of many talents, from boxing to politics, and here he is channelling his inner Dan Hill with a cover of the 1994 tune ‘Sometimes When We Touch’.

    That performance made waves and received good airtime, while he also famously sung ‘Nothing’s Going to Change My Love for You’ on the Jimmy Kimmel show. Even better was this memorable 2012 duet with Will Ferrell of John Lennon’s ‘Imagine’. Just spellbinding. 

    SPORT360 SINGOMETER: 9/10

    Pacquiao’s longevity in the music business and, remarkable as it is, geunine commercial success is impressive. Fury hasn’t as yet won enough admirers to be given the talk show stage to demonstrate his talents. 

    VERDICT: Tyson’s got the fury but Pacquiao is the music man, edging this battle for the ages on points. 

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