Oleksandr Oleksandrovych Usyk vs. Tyson Luke Fury II - Usyk 226 lbs, Fury 281 lbs

But that’s the point - AJ proved that AJ can flatten Ngannou, Fury didn’t prove he could do same - explanations/excuses notwithstanding.

As already noted, AJ punches notably harder than Tyson.

Also, AJ doesn’t maul and lean like Fury does - the advantage (including respite periods) that Fury often enjoys from such tactics were taken away from him.

Ngannou himself punched hard enough to clearly hurt Fury with virtually every clean shot he landed.

I wouldn’t view the power behind the punch and the quality of connection that yielded the KD to be so isolated as to be lucky.

There was another instance in which Fury was arguably KD’d again.

An out of shape and unfocused Ali lost to Norton the first time around and while a trained to the second Ali beat Norton in the rematch, it wasn’t by much.

But then, we can all see how Foreman, a lesser boxer but much harder puncher than Ali, saw Norton off in under 2 rounds….

Sure, an Ngannou rematch is unlikely to happen - but the complexion and outcome of their actual fight remains exactly as it was - any other imagined complexion and outcome is exactly that - based on assumption not reality.

 

Here is the history of Oleksandr Usyk at heavyweight:

2019: Chazz Witherspoon
2020: Derek Chisora
2021: Anthony Joshua
2022: Anthony Joshua
2023: Daniel Dubois
2024: Tyson Fury (2x)

Usyk will soon be 38 years old. He has had seven fights in six years.

Should he have fought more often?

 

Blame Fury for 2 inactive years of dodging. Usyk just wanted the best fight available.

 

Fury and Usyk both waited out 12 months for Saudi money and then the fight was made. Nothing in Furys part. Usyks dumb team almost got him chinned by dubious and Furys horrible complacency left him struggling against an MMA bum.

Usyk got sidelined after Ruiz Jr chinned the bodybuilding bum so had to wait on the sidelines longer. That's just how things go.

 

2020 - covid
2022 - war in Ukraine
2023 - Fury ducking him

Not his fault really. Still despite the distractions he proved to be the best heavyweight of this era.

 

Usyk signed the contract to fight Fury early 2023 in Saudi, Bob Arum confirmed he finalised his deal with them, while Fury priced himself out, wanting more than they were willing to pay both guys.

 

As a ratio of tough fights to total fights, what Usyk's done is amazing. His top 5 wins are probably the best of any HW, and it's incredible that he's done in 7 fights what AJ and Fury couldn't in 30, 35+.

Apart from his HW debut, there's zero fluff/padding/stay-busy in Usyk's HW resumé. These are big tough fights that require a lot of prep and recovery, and of course he came to HW relatively old.

That said, after Fury I think Usyk's resumé would benefit from fighting some of the 'best of the Rest'. Two of Parker, Kabayel, Zhang, Bakole would cement Usyk's place as a bit of a leftfield HW top 10 ATG.

 

If it was nearly anyone else, most people would be livid about that and criticizing it…

But honestly, at his age, and given the fact that he’s generally taken the best fights he can get, I think it’s fine.

 

Yeah, when someone else is inactive, it's their fault, when it's Usyk - It's everyone elses fault.


He said it many times, that he needs much more time prepare, than your other top boxers.


That's why I don't know how he will handle the pressure of fighting 3-4 times in a year in other eras, He was very tired after that tournament at CW.

 

2019: Injury
2020: Injury and Covid
2021: Wait for Joshua
2022: War in Ukraine
2023: Wait for Fury

 

Fury will get stopped this time tko in 11

 

He know already before first fight about "weak Usyk body" myth.
Why he dont punch on body more then? Answer is simple.
Usyk is quicker. If You try bodyshot him You arę open for his combination upstairs.

Fury imo got one chance to win this. He must work hard (100%) from first round like he did in round 4-7 and pray he can destroy Usyk soo much that he cant comeback in later rounds.
But when You work harder You use more stamina. And then accident call gas out can happend.
And You dont want have gas reserve with Usyk in ring because he can force tempo to last rounds.

 

Usyk Fiury is a battle of the spirit not the mind or body. God will decide the victor.

Both can hurt each other. Both will stick to boxing fundamentals. Usyk has a slightly larger tank to drain over the fight distance. Both drain their tanks differently though. Both took 1 or 2 rounds off in that fight.

 

It will be a close fight but I do think it was also be epic. The first fight was Bowe/Holyfield type greatness.