Manchester's heavyweight sensation Tyson Fury defends his Commonwealth title against Canadian-based Bosnian Neven Pajkic at the Event City, Trafford Park in Manchester on Saturday night. The 6'9" Fury claimed this week that he is the man to break the stranglehold currently being placed on the heavyweight division by Ukrainian brothers Wladimir and Vitali Klitschko, who between them hold all four major title belts. Fury also claimed that when he becomes world heavyweight champion he will be a bigger name than soccer superstars Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo – combined.

First of all, 23 year old Fury (16-0, 11 KOs) must take care of business on Saturday night against a tough, undefeated 6'3'' 240 lb opponent Neven Pajkic, who comes to fight and believes that he can grab his opportunity and make a big name for himself by handing Fury his first defeat.

Fury vs Pajkic will be screened live in the UK on Channel 5 – the action starts at 9:45 PM on Saturday night.  

Many doubted just how far Fury could go when he turned professional after winning the 2008 ABA super heavyweight title. For the first two years of his career, Fury, son of 1980's British heavyweight contender and bare-knuckle boxer ''Gypsy'' John Fury and proud of his Romany roots, who looked to have both the perfect fighting pedigree plus incredible natural physical gifts, yet was criticized for being out of condition, lacking boxing ability and fighting a stream of small, second-rate heavyweights that he proceeded to dispatch in rapid fashion. 

UK fight fans began to reassess their valuation of Fury when he came from behind to stop the always dangerous John McDermott in the ninth round of a thriller for the vacant British heavyweight title last June.

Since his comprehensive thrashing of the previously undefeated and world rated Derek Chisora in July of this year, boxing fans throughout Britain and around the globe are beginning to believe that Fury might just be the real McCoy: a future world heavyweight champion.

Certainly there is no doubt in young Tyson's mind. He firmly believes that he will not only clean up the heavyweight division, but will go on to be a bigger global superstar than two of the biggest names in soccer today. 

In an interview this week with the Manchester Evening News he said: ''I can see a time coming fast when I'm heavyweight champion of the world. I'll be the ultimate name in sport. Forget about (Cristiano )Ronaldo or (Wayne) Rooney - everyone has to look up to the heavyweight champion - especially when it's me.'' 

Fury is an ardent fan of Manchester United, whose supporters consider striker Rooney and ex-winger Ronaldo, now with Real Madrid to be virtual demigods. He knows that while soccer stars have become the biggest names in British sport since the explosion in football popularity brought on by the introduction of the Premiership in the early 90's and Sky Sports subsequent intensive coverage, that wasn't always the case, and he harks back to a time when the countries top heavyweight boxers were its premiere sporting stars.

''The British public has grown up to love football, so obviously it gets more attention. Years ago it wasn't so big and the top men were Henry Cooper or Frank Bruno. There's a million footballers and there will be a million more but they cannot compare to the heavyweight champion.''

On the subject of IBF/WBA/WBO heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko, and his brother Vitali the WBC heavyweight title holder, WBC 11th ranked contender Fury is philosophical yet convinced that he is the man to end their years of domination. He also believes that good as they are, the Klitschko brothers are not popular heavyweights in Britain or America.

''It’s hard for people to want to be like the Klitschkos. I know they speak 20 languages, but the English speaking countries are not interested in them. When the Americans dominated everybody knew who the champion was. Everyone will get behind me. I’m going to end the Klitschko's reign completely.''

He was also scathing in his opinion of recently retired former WBA heavyweight champion David Haye, who faced Wladimir Klitschko in a unification fight in Germany this July, but despite pre-fight boasts that he would knock out the Ukrainian, Haye fought an ultra defensive, safety-first fight that led to almost universal derision from fight fans.

''Compared to David Haye – I’ve got seven inches in height on him, three stone in weight and about 14 times bigger heart. I’m a lot tougher and I want it more.''

Fury's opponent on Saturday night, 34 year old Neven Pajkic 

(16-0, 5 KOs) turned professional six years ago in Canada, and  captured the Canadian heavyweight title in 2010 with a points win over Polish born Grzegorz Kielsa. 

He holds a 10 round decision over solid journeyman Raphael Butler, recently KO'd in three rounds by top heavyweight contender Chris Arreola. In 2009 Pajkic outpointed recent Tyson Fury victim Nicolai Firtha over ten rounds. Last time out he scored a points win over Johnnie White to win the vacant North American Boxing Association Canadian heavyweight title. 

Aggressive but limited and somewhat raw in his approach to the sweet science, Pajkic lacks both boxing skills and genuine punching power. The fact that he has remained unbeaten for six years must to be put down as much to skilled matchmaking by his manager as to the fighter's determination and will to win. Despite his aggressive fighting style, Pajkic has scored just five KOs in his 16 pro victories, and stopped just one opponent in the last 4 1/2 years.

Although he holds a win over Firtha, Pajkic looks a step back in quality from the American in terms of the kind of test he will provide for Fury. Despite his limitations, Firtha was a decent boxer with a solid right hand who managed to rock Fury to his boots in the second round of their fight in September, before Fury stormed back to bludgeon the brave American to defeat in the fifth round. 

The Canadian likes to rush his opponents, backing them up against the ropes and applying pressure. This tactic will prove suicidal against Fury, who although not yet an explosive puncher, hits hard with every shot in his arsenal, and capable of flooring his opponent with just a jab.

This fight could feasibly end in the first round, though Fury has only stopped three of his opponents in the opening stanza, and is something of a slow starter. By the second round he should be timing Pajkic's rushes with clubbing shots of his own, and by the third Fury will either put his man down for the count, or force the referee to jump in and stop the fight. 

Fury by KO in three.

Big Fight Odds: Tyson Fury 1/16,  Neven Pajkic 7/1 bet365