Do you consider Usyk to be Fury's toughest test?

Tossup between him and Klitschko but probably Klitschko. I hold Wilder and Wallin in much higher esteem than the average boxing fan in 2024 does.

 

Fury was paid around $35M for fighting Whyte.

As you see, he's getting paid lots of money for fighting mediocre opponents as a champion. So, why risk his title by fighting Usyk?

 

Absolutely. It certainly isn't Francis Ngannou.

 

Fury will succumb to his mental disorder and Usyk will take advantage of it, namely Fury has already withdrawn from the fight once, which means that he is not fully ready even now, but he will still do this fight for the sake of order and profit, Usyk will win...

 

I don't think he's FAR more skilled.

If Usyk is the most skilled boxer in the division who is 2nd if not Fury?

Fury has showed he can fight in different styles, has a good jab, upper cut, can throw combinations, body shots.

Skill

Usyk 10
Fury 9

Physicality

Usyk 6
Fury 9

 

Fury isn't even Usyk's toughest test

 

It should be, but it wont be IMO.

 

Whyte was decently well known and he was mandatory and top 5.
He took Povetkin apart for every single minute of every round except for the one shot that knocked him out.

Perceptions about fury have drastically changed the last 2 years. He wouldnt get away with fighting tom schwartz anymore while claiming to be the best in the world

 

With hindsight, Usyk is his biggest test but at the time Wlad and Wilder were far riskier.

 

Nobody thought he would beat Wlad and after the weight gain and layoff I doubt many were picking him over Wilder. Usyk is his legacy fight though and it will greatly determine how he is viewed looking back on the era.

 

1. Wilder 1 - not that I thought Wilder was a great champion, but it seemed way too early for Fury to be fighting him on his come back trail. Turned out Wilder was even more limited than I ever thought.

2. Usyk - I think Fury may have successfully aged Usyk out. Anyone who saw training footage of Usyk's reaction time should be concerned: he looked sluggish. Usyk has to roll back the clock to beat a man Fury's size. Fury too has looked awful of late too. It is hard to predict and more about who is least faded at this point.

3. Wlad - I was very confident that Fury would beat the aging Wlad. Wlad didn't seem keen on fighting a guy of Fury's size. He also looked bad against Jennings. Fury was hungry and put in two high level performances against Chisora and then Hammer. So yeah out with the old in with the new. Then, it turns out Wlad was also having family issues and Fury was allowed to fight after being caught taking PEDs that same year.

Special mention: John McDermott for the British Title

 

At the same time...

Fury was pretty much prime against a most definitely past prime Wlad - regardless of whether you think Wlad was out of sorts for that fight, he most certainly was not prime.

In this case, both Fury himself AND Usyk are past their primes.

Or in other words, Fury should've had an age/condition advantage in the Wlad fight that he won't have here.

Then again, as you say - the deck was probably stacked for Wlad as champ where here the deck seems likely to be heavily biased in Fury's favour.


I suspect hindsight and how close the fight is or isn't (and who wins) will truly answer the question.


One things for sure, a glorified can crusher doesn't come close to either Ukrainian.

 

Maybe. We'll see when they fight.

It's entirely possible he saw Usyk as a less risky (to his health) cash out than Joshua.

 

Usyk is Fury's toughest test and the fact that Usyk is a built up cruiserweight with only a handful of fights at heavyweight and who is also in his late-30's tells you a lot about Fury's standing in the game.

People who rate Fury as an ATG should consider this for a moment.

 

Still wlad on away soil
Fighting wilder on away soil while just losing 10 stone, and not boxing in 2-3 years is up there too

Fury is hated and few credit him. But he will beat usyk and prove the doubters wrong yet again