Fury vs Usyk - Video Preview & Prediction (POLL added)

I agree with you that Fury would be more effective at fighting on the front foot, closing the distance & using his size to bully Usyk, than AJ was ever going to be.

However, I'm not completely ruling out the possibility of Fury outboxing Usyk at range. Both are very skilled long range boxers. It's a question of which discrepency is bigger - 1) The height & reach in Fury's favour; or 2) The footspeed, handspeed & reflexes in Usyk's favour.

During the 5th to 8th round of AJ vs Usyk 1, AJ tried to outbox Usyk from distance, it was effectively a long range fencing match. Usyk won at least 3 of the first 4 rounds before AJ become accustomed to his movement & swept all of the last 4 vs a gassed AJ. However, AJ was damn competitive between rounds 5-8, in a pure "jab & move" long range boxing match, without ever imposing his size.

Watch rounds 5-8 of AJ vs Usyk 1, and then consider how Fury compares to AJ in the attributes required to be an effective out-boxer - he's taller, rangier, lighter on his fight, has better head movement, controls the range better, more effectively utilises feints and his straight, long "arm punches", are faster than AJ's more powerful and more pushed shots.....

 

Great post .. you've become one of the best here for sure.

 

I think Fury is going to rely a lot on his size. Usyk is going to probably beat him to the punch more often than not, and be evasive. It might be a bit like Bowe vs Hide, but only in that Fury will win in Jethro style. He can't hit as hard as Joshua, so I see a fairly close but clear UD.

 

So while Rummy makes a lot of good points about the fight, I have to note that most of the best ones go back to the era of Fury /Klitschko. Let me bring the attention that Fury was lean and hungry back there, full of twitchy speed and reflexes. Today he looks ponderous and much slower. In fact it looks like he has a second ass growing out over his boxing trunks. His conditioning is nowhere near where it should be and he's looked tired in the later rounds against one trick ponies like Wilder. He's also been beating up on fighters that are old and shot like Chisora, and really no challenge at all to Fury.

If we take statements at face value, Fury is starting training now for April, no doubt coming off a diet of donuts and pies. Usyk on the other hand is lean as a shark. I think that we are going to see a ponderous Fury come April, and he's going to have hell to keep up with Usyk's deft Ukrainian footwork and angle changes. I think Fury is going to try to maul Usyk and wrestle him when he realises he can't land cleanly. If he fails at that then his cardio is going to blow all its valves at around the 8th round and the last rounds will be a beatdown.

I'm on record here as favouring the best version of Fury over Usyk.

I don't think we're going to see the best version and in fact I think we are going to see the Free Willie version of Fury in April. I think Fury's hubris is so colossal that he genuinely thinks he can roll out of bed and take on a master operator like Usyk. If somebody in Fury's camp has any braincells left they will create a phantom injury and buy Fat Boy another 2 months to shake the lard off. If Fury comes in blubber mode, I think Usyk gives him a galactic beat down.

 

My thoughts pretty much exactly. Boxing IQ and ability are roughly the same, both at a very high level. But Fury's physicality, which he always has holstered as a Plan B, will prove significant. Usyk doesn't have that dynamic.

That said, weird things happen often in boxing, and even more often with the big boys.

I hope Fury is serious in his preparation. He will need to be if he hopes for victory, and if we hope for a great fight.

 

Great video. I am leaning towards Usyk. Think his speed, fitness, movement and technical ability take it. I am not suggesting it's an easy fight for him and he will have to be consistent and moving for the whole fight, but he's got the tools to do it. Depending on his weight and stamina in this. It's a different and much harder fight for him than Joshua was. But like has been mentioned too how much the referee allows Fury to get away with could be pretty key too.

Having said that could see an argument for Fury too. Big question too what weights are they coming in at? Will Usyk come in at a weight that allows him to maintain the high work rate and pace throughout that he needs to beat Fury? Is Fury going to be fit enough to maintain a pace for the entire fight? Then again am not sure how much my bias is affecting my judgement because in this case I do want Uysk to win. Depending upon who is fighting I might have a preference sometimes, though usually it's case of whomever is best on the night and hope it's a good fight. While recognising his accomplishments am not Fury fan at all never have been. But also like you said what the hell do I know.

 

Usyk is a amazing, but he is easy work for Fury imo. Joshua had some success against Usyk,Fury with his even longer reach better speed, stamina and boxing skill will edge out the rounds imo. Usyk does not have much power and Fury has a great chin.

 

Thanks, far from it, but I appreciate the compliment. Some great angles and perspectives from all, including your own good self of course. At a personal level, I like Usyk more as a person and fighter but try to be objective without falling into the easy trap of looking more at Usyk's positives whilst ignoring those of Fury.

Lots of crucial variables to consider, an intriguing fight to analyze for sure. I understand the motive to promote - but like Ali before him, Fury can go too far imo, where it hits the point of becoming less about advertising the fight and more about him as a somewhat abusive, unhinged character - magnified by the facility of social media - imagine Ail have been availed of same? -Lol - Ali managed to max out the less affording social media outlets of his day.

But then, like Ali, come fight time, it likely won't compromise Fury's focused mindset for the fight. I could guess but not know that Fury highly respects the challenge represented by Uysk - because again, like Ali, the words and emotions become that much more edged in the face of an opponent who is perceived as a more serious threat than most.

 

As much as I am not really a fan of today's Boxing ... Usyk has the opportunity to pull off one of the greatest HW wins in the History of the sport ... it's top 3
This is the biggest fight in the sport since the 2010 fight Mayweather vs Pac .. That NEVER happened .. and Usyk is older than Fury . This is the biggest fight in 40 years .. since SRL Hagler .. This fight is really important for Boxing. It's everything for historical status with these 2.. If Fury wins and doesn't lose after, he is top 15 all time ever, and case for top 10 imo , and top 5- 10 h2h easy, a lot more than WLAD accomplished thats for sure..... and if Usyk wins ... holy **** one of the best skilled modern day boxers ever giving up every adv. ...... This is the fight right here of the last many years
Usyk UD

 

Look, I start this by saying while I feel he has become overrated , basically building a name on an old Klitschko and deadly but one trick Wilder, Fury has been incredibly brave, full of game and a very tough match up based on his game. I have also found him hilarious and terrific for the sport. He is bananas but truly fears no one. That said, I am seeing cracks in his veneer as he ages and do not like the attitude as of late and am getting sick of the whole clan's crap starting with the loud mouth, piggybacking, attention starved father ... that said, some observations ...

Everyone knows Fury is much larger but lets put a few things in perspective ; The Fury as 6'9" as we all know is BS, he's closer to 6' 7" which is AJ's size, a size Usyk is quite familiar with by now ... Fury is heavier but I feel AJ was at least as strong physically so he's used to that as well .. AJ is a much harder puncher than anything Fury manages and Usyk showed an incredible chin late in the rematch ... Of course Fury is faster than AJ but I really don't think the 34 year old 271 pound version is really that much faster than the peak conditioned AJ we saw in the rematch ... punch output is critical .. Usyk averaged close to 70 punches a round vs AJ and AJ about 40 per round in their rematch ... Fury rarely throws more than 20 punches a round as he likes to control the pace , fine against Wilder who rarely throws and a catatonic 41 year old Klitschko who could not pull the trigger in their bout but here he is fighting a man who is lightning on his feet, incredibly conditioned and will be using all sorts of angles , in some ways a heavyweight Harry Greb ...

The expected way this plays out is Fury jabs, uses his weight to smother Usyk and wears him out and it may very well go that way but I simply feel Usyk is so much hungrier, more determined, fighting for a cause greater than his own pocket and condition wise it's no contest .. I can see Usyk moving a great deal and hitting Fury often and taking him out of his game .. then when Fury tries to get very physical it will get interesting ... we will see .. one note to keep aware of and that is the teams ... Fury has his father and other genuinely tough guys with big mouths but Usyk has his own, very quiet but extremely dangerous group of stone cold killers that protect him , war hardened, Eastern European guys that no one wants to mess with as we saw when he very calmly warned an emotional AJ after their rematch .. I sincerely hope the leaning and smothering a tired and frustrated Fury may resort to does not get out of hand ...

I say let's hope for the best and be ready for what should be a very interesting match ...

 

I agree with the prediction

 

The ref will matter so much here.

 

no

 

The ref always matters to some degree .. to simply say no here must mean you think it will be Fury early and easy .. otherwise the definitive statement makes no sense ..

 

Good post.

I agree with most of what you say, including that Fury is not 6ft 9ins. He's clearly taller than AJ, though. Wlad looked at least equal in height to AJ, if not 1/4 inch taller, to me. Fury looked around 2 inches taller than Wlad to me.

I also agree with you that - 1) Fury's resume outside of Wlad & Wilder isn't great; and 2) He's slower now than he was vs Wlad.

However, in his last 2 x fights he's beaten the then ring magazine ranked #4 and a fringe top 10 contender, in non-competitive fights.

Now I acknowledge that Whyte & Chisora are favourable style match ups for Fury, were never great & have both seen better days. However, being so utterly dominant, without getting out of 2nd gear, against world class/fringe world class fighters, hints at a fighter who is still pretty special.

You can reasonably argue who is 1 & who is 2 either way, but it's pretty clear in my mind that Fury vs Usyk is a fight between the best 2 x HWs on the planet today.