Today is the day when Oleksandr Usyk cements himself as one of the greatest of all time or when Tyson Fury avenges his only loss and reclaims his heavyweight throne. Both of them know what is at stake and the importance of today’s game.
Fury’s behavior is different for this match; he seems laser-focused and took a different approach when interacting with Usik. At a press conference on Thursday, Fury verbally attacked Ushik with personal insults. This could be an attempt to enrage the Ukrainian into a firefight. Fury’s strategy for this bout could be similar to what he did in his second bout against Deontay Wilder, choosing to weigh in at 273 pounds. In that second bout, he launched a pressure attack that caught Wilder by surprise, dropping him multiple times and eventually stopping him in the 7th round.
Anthony Joshua fought Alexander Usyk twice, and he achieved the most success in the 9th round of their rematch, landing an incredible 28 punches. In that round, he used effective pressure and put Usik on the back foot. Usyk, however, as a master tactician, made the necessary adjustments in the next round and outplayed Joshua, landing as many as 39 punches in the 10th match.
It will take something really special to beat Usyk. His corner control, elusive movement and ability to adapt in the fight make it difficult for opponents to be truly effective against him. His known weakness is his body, and many have had limited success landing clean punches to his midsection. None more so than Daniel Dubois, who delivered a devastating blow to Usyk’s belt that sent him crashing to the canvas. The referee controversially called the kick low, but many believe it was legal. Either way, Dubois was successful with several body shots throughout the match.
At yesterday’s weigh-in, Fury weighed in at 281 pounds, equal to Usyk’s 226. The 55 pound difference will be to be bigger and stronger, to pressure and bully Usyk on the inside. In the first bout, Fury was effective early on by landing a couple of right uppercuts, and the one he landed in the 6th round stunned Usyk and did some serious damage that left him severely shaken, leading to the famous picture of Usyk kissing his crucifix. Fury will look to duplicate this effort and punish him.
To be truly effective, he has to outwit Usik, which is no easy task. He has to be unpredictable in the box at both short and long range. Giving Usika different views and attacks from different angles. Usyk is great at adapting, and if Fury becomes predictable or repetitive, Usyk will change tactically. Anger must control the distance; he didn’t do it well in the first match and suffered because of it. He has a 7-inch lead and has to use his shot when he’s long range. He has to do it hard and throw faster than in the first match. He had limited success, with 62 shots. He must keep Usik at a distance and not allow
to enter from within until he is ready to confront him. Fury also needs to hit the body hard because an effective body attack will slow Usik down. The biggest question is, can Fury go the distance with the extra weight? If he is unable to slow down Usyk, he could find himself in a difficult defense. The first match was won by a small margin, and Usyk won by split decision. The judges scored 115-112, 114-113 for Usyk and 114-113 for Fury. The outcome of this match could end differently as Fury’s adjustments outside the ring are already visible. His focus, weight and demeanor show that he will be much more aggressive in this match. The demonstration and playfulness he showed in the first match will be kept to a minimum, and instead, he will use his energy to seriously injure Usyk. Usyk must weather the early storm and make the necessary adjustments to survive Fury’s pressure. The second leg should be just as great as the first.