It's probably a little early to call it the fight of the century – we'll talk about it later, depending on the scenario – but for many, what will take place on Saturday evening in Riyadh comes very close. There is everything in this new clash between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk, the prestige of the heavyweights, the opposition of style, the historical stakes, sprinkled with an ingredient which makes things even more spicy: the feeling of revenge of the part of the favorite, who promises that he will not be caught again.
Fury nearly knocked down in first fight
“It’s going to be a great moment, and having experienced many, many revenges, trilogies, this fight is in line with the greatest, really. It’s not an exaggeration to say that,” says Jean-Philippe Lustyk, a great voice of boxing on TV and radio for 40 years, and who will be on commentary this Saturday on DAZN.
Seven months ago, already in the Saudi capital, Fury was surprised, in proportions that few had anticipated. Not that the Ukrainian is a vulgarian nobody who had no chance, of course, but the clear advantage in height (2.06m against 1.91m) and weight (126 kg against 100) in favor of the Briton suggested another outcome. Because beyond having inflicted on Fury his first defeat in 36 fights – on points by split decision – the Ukrainian was the one who was closest to the KO, during a suffocating sequence starting from a right- devastating left leaving his opponent haggard in a corner of the ring, in the 9th round.
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The referee was very kind to count the “Gipsy King” when he was not yet on the ground, restoring, it is not clear why, the standing counts which no longer exist. Can Fury, this time, be beaten before the end of the 12 rounds, taken by the exceptional mobility and endurance of his opponent? Few believe it. On the contrary, even. “Fury can win before the limit. Otherwise, Usyk will win on points, believes Lustyk. Afterwards, be careful, among heavyweights things can change at any time. »
“I don’t think it will go through to the end. From what I have seen, Fury has done a lot of work in his preparation, I see him making the difference, predicts in the same vein Joseph Germain, the trainer who led Jean-Marc Mormeck to the world heavyweight title- lightweight in 2002. Apart from his grimaces and all these asides which can sometimes ring false, he remains a boxer with enormous qualities, we must not forget that. Physically, mentally, he seems ready. »
The “eat well, sleep well” version of Fury
This is what the person concerned is trying to sell us, in any case. The Mancunian explained in an interview with DAZN this week that he hadn't spoken to his wife for three months just to prepare, his version of “eat well, sleep well”. “Yes, I sacrificed a lot. But it will be worth it, 100%,” he assured. At a press conference, he admitted that he would have to be “more concentrated and more intelligent”, emphasizing that his approach in the first round had not been the right one.
Finally, there is this nagging impression that it is mainly on him on whom the outcome of this revenge will depend. “There will be no surprises with Usyk’s performance,” considers Jean-Philippe Lutsyk. The author of the work The great book of boxing (Marabout) details what makes the Ukrainian strong, who is in line with his great compatriots, Klitschko or Lomachenko: “He has this maximum concentration, this humility. He is both very talented and very serious, he is an extraordinary technician, with blows perhaps less powerful but always in the right timing and very precise. »
“A born boxer, great in the ring”
But he remains predictable, while Fury is capable of anything. “People don't realize it, as he's not a statuesque athlete, with biceps that stand out and defined muscles, but he feels boxing, he breathes it. He is a born boxer, who is great in the ring,” continues the specialist. So he is the one who has the key. “He will have to be able to work between Usyk's shots, that is to say not waiting for him to stop before going there, but finding a way to break his sequences,” says Joseph Germain. He has the weapons for that. »
The reconquest comes at this price. For the moment, Oleksandr Usyk, who after the first round became the first boxer to unify all the belts in the category since Lennox Lewis in 1999, is indeed the heavyweight king. The fact that he has since abandoned his IBF title to better prepare for this rematch does not change much.
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Great pride in the homeland, the Ukrainian arrives as a boss, as he showed during the press conference by coming accompanied by a small black briefcase containing photos of the fight in May… which he requested from Fury to dedicate. The Briton played the game, while promising his opponent to go and admire the ground very closely on Saturday. “Everyone I faced more than once was knocked out in the rematch,” he announced. See you at the first bell.
