Time for heavyweights to trim down

I agree.
I do sincerely not understand why or how, a professional athlete can turn up to an event clearly not being in shape for the type of contest he is competing in.
Now, I understand why NFL O-linemen or super heavyweights in olympic weight lifting carry extra bodyfat. But boxers being endurance athletes have zero advantages at 20% or more bodyfat.

 

100% agree. Fury looked in awful shape on Saturday night and his physique was clearly an indicator of his overall conditioning. You could almost see the exact moment that he became exhausted and started looking sloppy.

 

Honestly I think the tactics from Fury were baffling he came in heavier but still fought a tactical boxing match vs the much smaller man that makes no sense to me.

What was the point of the extra weight if you weren't going to make a real physical fight ? He might aswell of trimmed down and got even better shape than he was before.

Maybe he felt the extra weight benefitted his punch resistance ? But still a bit baffling to me.

 

I am currently 255 and carrying less fat than Fury, despite being around 6 inches shorter

It's a disgrace how some of these lumps look. I know it isn't a beauty contest, but the likes of Aj and usyk should be the benchmark and athletes should follow their example

The ufc are full of fatties too at HW

 

I'm thinking punch resistance and hoping to rough Usyk up during clinches, which usyk never allowed

Maybe he was hoping to have a little more pop in the uppercut, but never really found it. He should have came in similar to the last time, but probably would have made little difference. Usyk seemed to have an answer for everything on the night

 

What frustrates me is that all these big guys like Joshua, Fury, they're not really imposing there size and will on Usyk.

Don't get me wrong I know Usyk has some pop and he's hard to pin down but can you imagine smaller Heavyweights like Tyson, Frazier, Holyfield, fighting a tactical fight vs Usyk if they felt they were losing ? They would be coming after Usyk like a freight train engaging him in a war.

What makes me laugh is that Chisora is way less skilled than Fury, Joshua, but he's the only one who actually got the tactics spot on he chased down Usyk and made it a physical fight. The issue is he didn't have the stamina to do it for all 12 rounds, but atleast he had a bloody good go despite the gulf in class I think that's the way to do it.

 

I agree, but I think Usyk carries more power than his record suggests. I think these guys are afraid to walk on to his counters, because he can flatten them. Chisora is an animal so doesn't care

Usyk is like Floyd, where you don't think they are really punchers, but nobody is walking through them. Obviously Usyk is a bigger puncher than Floyd and has demonstrated solid power on occasion, but it's not the first thing that comes to mind

Tyson was a bull with a great chin, Holyfield too. These guys if behind on the cards, would certainly walk him down

I have trolled to downplay usyk, which was wrong, but I still don't think this era is particularly good. Fury can box and Aj is a specimen, but I don't think they are true greats and other top champions would have their number, just like Usyk who is a great champion

 

I think alot of the Heavyweights are overrated now Foreman at age 47 could average 400+ punches Zhang only threw 200+ punches vs Parker for example is he better than Foreman ? No.

Joshua is big and has power but he's got a suspect mentality and a suspect chin is he better than someone like a peak Bowe ? Absolutely not.

Fury is talented but way too inconsistent with his performances and training habits is he better than Lewis ? God no.

Dubois has come up recently but I think he's recent performances have flattered him I don't see him as better than someone like Bruno.

 

I agree wholeheartedly with the above
That's why even when I was going overboard with the trolling, I still stand by the era not being great. Certainly it isn't as bad as I was making out, calling them bums etc, but no chance is it like the 90s as you mention above

Other than usyk and maybe an in shape Fury at his best, do you think the brothers in their prime would struggle with this lot? I certainly don't

I think the British hype machine behind Joshua and the way he started his career created a lot of hype

You also have the trash talking Fury who promotes himself so well and on the other side of the Atlantic you have a limited guy knocking out second rate fighters.

What I'm trying to say is, the era had hype, but the fighters ever being great was an illusion. Social media and good marketing can do wonders.

Usyk is 10000% the real deal and would be great in any era. Joshua with the right opponents would be good, but fighters with power and a great chin would smash him

Wilder is too limited and great champions would have their way.

Fury is a nightmare if he is on form and many would struggle if he is switched on, but I'm not convinced he could deal with Holyfield or bowe, never mind Lennox

 

Likely yes, and for added inertia (like to hopefully move and control Usyk easier, tire him if he could clinch and put his weight on him) and punching power via his weight. The first fight already had him with his lower weight and slimmer physique and it didn't work, so they likely opted for a heavier body and different approach, but...

Because likely he couldn't impose his size and weight advantage in the rematch no matter the simulation in training and previous data from the first match. Even with his actual experience from the first fight, he just couldn't. So it resulted to the more tactical boxing match instead, unlike versus Wilder 2 which was a success. And Fury/team was wary of the repeat of the previous mishap, hence he apparently didn't commit much, as likely carefully practiced back in training.

 

I take Fury at his word that he came in heavy because he thought it would help him KO Usyk.

He tried at times to make it a physical fight but it mostly didn't work.

Usyk has really good footwork and is a good counterpuncher.

He's mostly not there when you go to tie him up. If he is there, there's a good chance a Ukranian missile is coming back at you.

Your opponent gets a vote and Usyk mostly didn't allow Fury to do it.

 

There is such a thing as genetics, fury would never look like AJ even if he abused every ped under the sun.

 

Usyk has basically proved that the old Heavyweights (Ali, Holmes, Foreman) were the perfect size and can beat any of these modern 'super heavyweights'