Losers are usually afforded far more consideration as to what they perhaps could do better in rematches. However, winners are just as eligible for the same considerations but they’re often viewed as not being broken so nothing to fix. There are some things that Usyk could possibly improve the second time around - if he didn’t already correct same during the course of the first fight. Fury’s best rounds were 4,5 and 6. However, I didn’t see Fury outbox Usyk so much as I saw Olek hit his first stamina wall - and relatively early for him - which Fury naturally took full advantage of. From first bell, Usyk clearly traded off on some of his usual mobility and defence to start fast, plant and land hard punches - a strategy that was always going to invite a higher level of risk vs the potential reward being sought. Perhaps that less familiar strategy put more of a drain on Usyk’s tank but I also think that Olek has clearly slowed in terms of hand speed, head/body movement and leg mobility. In whole fight terms, Usyk’s strategy paid off. He invested early, hurt Fury and had him on the back foot. He immediately gained respect for his power - which was clearly part of his objective. The early effort and hurt he laid on Fury was always going to pay dividends later in the fight. Usyk then hit a stamina wall but recovered himself. Going into round 7, I had them locked up at 3 rounds a piece. In round 7 Usyk began picking up where he left off (after round 3) to dominate the remainder of the fight - his later rounds stamina wasn’t what it used to be but it was still good enough. I think it’s a misread to think that the fight suddenly turned during rounds 8 and 9 - a misread that ignores Usyk’s notable early rounds successes and damage caused whilst exaggerating the perception that Fury was taking the fight over by “outboxing” Olek during rounds 4-6. Usyk endured a very tough round in the rematch against Joshua (round 9?) but he proved that he doesn’t fold like a cheap suit and that he can come back with a vengeance. He has established a reliability in that regard akin to that upheld by Muhammad Ali.
I think his best bet is to apply both and everything in between - which I believe he’s capable of if he applies himself. Usyk will certainly be coming in prepared to fight in a variety of ways. I actually think the most important thing for Fury is not screwing off too much, both in preparation and within the fight. It’s a catch 22 because Fury screwing off a bit helps him keep his rhythm and stay engaged, but he can’t afford to do it as irresponsibly as he did in their first meeting.
I have waited for this day longer than I've waited for Peter Stumpf to be proven innocent and coerced to confession of girdle-wearing to promote lycanthropy. And I will see it, so help me, Rummy, I will see it or I will not, by God.
Fury is crazy as a fox. I’ve counted him down before and he shocks me every time. Can Fury win??? Yes. Will we win? I’m not so sure. Usyk is a master inside the ring and if he picks up where he left off he should end this early.
In the recent interview Usyk said that he saw something in Tyson Fury during the fight that he didn't see in the video footage. I sense he will, again, do better adjustments than Fury and knock him out this time around.
But there is still room for improvement. He began to make adjustments in the fight, f.e. started to defend the uppercut better. 7 months later, with this experience + the analysis of the tapes, he can get in the ring being even better.
He's got more adjustements to make, so even he makes 5 and Usyk makes only 2, he can still win, cause he was claerly better the first time.
Those 2 adjustments are harder to make when you're not sure if your opponent will only tweak their game plan or come in with an entirely new one. Especially when you did so much right in the first fight.
One thing no one is talking about is, despite the fact Usyk beat Belly clearly and came within a whisker of knocking him out, Usyk has declined a lot in terms of speed, reflexes, reaction times, sharpness and fluidity and he looked sluggish and slow against Belly which would not have been the case at all if he was in his prime or even the version we saw vs AJ. who was like a buzzing fly and extremely difficult to pin down. He's the much smaller man and the prime version was so much noticeably faster of hand and foot, with mongoose like reflexes and reaction times, and was way sharper and more fluid. He should've been much faster than Belly but that was not the case.