5 Burning Questions for Usyk-Fury II
Read Time:7 Minute, 26 Second
2024 has been a wacky, yet pretty great year for boxing. We’ve seen some low moments like the Jake Paul-Mike Tyson event. But also have gotten one of the best years of meaningful fights in quite some time. We had high stakes matchups like Haney-Garcia, Fury-Usyk, Beterbiev-Bivol, and Taylor-Serrano II. Fighters like Canelo Alvarez, Naoya Inoue, and Gervonta “Tank” Davis continued solidifying their places as the biggest stars in the sport. We saw the emergence of a new generation of young stars like Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez, David Benavidez, Junto Nakatani, Keyshawn Davis, and Vergil Ortiz Jr. There was also a plethora of barn burners and upsets throughout the year.
However, boxing’s new version of Santa Claus, Turki Alalshikh, has one more gift for fight fans to enjoy. In the sports glamour division, 2024 will culminate with arguably the crown jewel of the year. Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury collide in an undisputed heavyweight title rematch to cap off the calendar.
#1. What adjustments can Usyk and Fury both make from their first meeting that will benefit them in the rematch?
Evan: For Usyk, the only things I would say he can improve on, are not starting as slow, avoiding the body shots more frequently, and finding a way to counter or defuse Fury’s jab earlier. Tyson was controlling the first half or so of their initial meeting behind his lead hand. So, the Ukrainian champion will want to set the tone of the fight from the opening bell this time around.
As for the Gypsy King, he needs to be more of a bully, and physical presence. Similarly to how he fought Deontay Wilder in their rematch, he should impose his size advantage, and look to fight more on the inside. Instead of trying to stay on the outside and out-slick Aleksandr, Fury needs to try to brutalize him in the clinch.
Mishal: In my opinion, the most room for improvement lays with the challenger, Tyson Fury. For Usyk, success comes from replicating a similar plan to the first fight. But, ensuring victory is decisive in the eyes of the judges. With the reputation boxing judges have of being as controversial as they are, this is not a fight Usyk should be looking to gradually grow in activity over. His pace is his biggest weapon and it must be more aggressive than ever this time round.
Fury, on the other hand, has a lot of room to improve. Less showboating, more activity and most importantly, increasing the focus on Usyk’s mid-section can present openings he was unable to find previously. The pace of Usyk is where things are troublesome. He showed that past the middle section of their first outing, the pace simply was growing on him. It’s something that desperately needs to be addressed should he want to break the Ukrainian.
#2. Does a win for either Usyk or Fury put them in the GOAT conversation at heavyweight?
Evan: I’m not sure I’d call Usyk or Fury the greatest heavyweight of all-time. However, they have to at least be in the discussion for sure. I don’t think either can ever have the same cultural impact that Muhammad Ali or even Mike Tyson had. People could argue too that the likes of Joe Frazier, George Foreman, Evander Holyfield, Lennox Lewis, and Riddick Bowe, are a step above them. But both have resumes equivalent to, if not better than, any of the aforementioned names above. A victory for either on Saturday too, especially Usyk, puts them as the definitive best heavyweight of this current era.
Mishal: It maybe places Fury back on track to the kind of image he was selling in the build-up to the Usyk fight. But, it’s unlikely to revitalize an image that was already on shakey ground prior to that time. Fury’s trilogy with Chisora, the snoozer with Whyte, razer-close victory over Ngannou and loss to Usyk may have stained a legacy that prior to this was at its peak.
Usyk though, could be regarded as the best of the modern-era with a victory. He’s broken virtually all his opponents and for a cruiserweight, has made them all feel smaller. A second victory over Fury gives him four over the two biggest boxers of our generation (alongside Joshua). It also adds to a resume that is undeniable, despite not being at the end of his career.
#3. Have Usyk’s mind games worked on Fury?
Evan: I think they have to some degree. Fury has been known to get into his opponents heads in the past with his brashness, and theatrics. Usyk’s calmness and frankly coldness within the firestorm of outbursts from Tyson, definitely seemed to nullify his usual relentless trash talk. Oleksandr has some humorous, and at times, bizarre sayings of his own too, like “I’m feel” or calling Fury “greedy belly” with a maniacal smile on his face was something I’m not sure The Gypsy King knew how to respond to. He sort of beat Fury at his own game in that regard in the build-up for their first fight.
Mishal: It never felt like Usyk needed mind games to stagger Tyson Fury at any point in the build-up to either fight. The cold, calm demeanor of the champion is the ideal counter to brash, abrasive trash-talking which Fury brings to the table. Presenting silence to the loudest of people is enough to question their capabilities. It breaks the foundation of a gameplan that brought Fury to the position he’s in today. Usyk feels like he’s just himself in the face of a mega-star… Something that is all you need to make it in any line of work.
#4. Is Saudi Arabia’s growing influence and control within the sport, good or bad for boxing?
Evan: I’m 50/50 on this to be honest. I appreciate that Turki Alalshikh has helped provide the sport with matchups and loaded cards that fight fans never thought we’d ever see. He’s utilized Saudi Arabia’s seemingly endless bank account to provide fighters with offers they simply can’t refuse. However, I don’t believe him or the Saudi government having full control over boxing is ultimately a good thing. Whether it’s the continued sport washing element or having them potentially monopolize boxing in the same way the UFC has done with MMA, in the long run, I don’t view that positively.
It’s also preventing these big fights from taking place in markets they should be in. Forcing them to be a part of “Riyadh Season” in front of crowds that feel like a morgue at times. Then bloviating the events with musical concerts nobody asked for, really comes off as inauthentic.
Mishal: Boxing has had an image problem for the better part of the last decade. The lack of big fights, refusal of top names (not named Anthony Joshua) to take risks in their divisions. Payouts becoming a rising issue and politics frustrating fans made boxing feel like a sport that had reached its end. Enter Turki Al-Sheikh, who in a matter of months created some of the most interesting boxing cards in recent memory, finally delivered on big fights like Fury vs. Usyk after close to two years of stalling in negotiations.
I’m hesitant to brand Turki-Al Sheikh or Saudi Arabia as the entities that have “saved” boxing. They’ve undoubtedly injected it with an energy not felt in a good while. Things are always moving, interesting fights are constantly on the horizon both in and out of the Middle East. It seems like a sense of excitement actually exists. It feels like the likelihood of one, let alone two Usyk vs. Fury fights would have never happened without the parties involved. Whatever keeps this momentum rolling is likely better for the business than worse.
#5. Will there be a trilogy bout between Usyk and Fury?
Evan: I don’t want to doubt Usyk at all. Especially after the way he performed and dominated the latter portion of the first fight. His technical prowess, cleverness, and moxie are truly all-time great. With that being said, I do expect Fury to make the necessary adjustments here in the rematch… Fighting more inside and being a bully that will create the need for a trilogy matchup between these two heavyweight titans.
Mishal: Win, lose or draw for either man this weekend, a trilogy feels like it’s inevitable. I think their abilities are too close to really separate and their names are too large to not meet at least one more time in the ring. This feels like a series of fights that is defining both men. A third is too big of an attraction to never approach.
Happy
50 %
Sad
0 %
Excited
7 %
Sleepy
0 %
Angry
0 %
Surprise
43 %
About Post Author
Average Rating