Tyson Fury Is Certain That Beating Usyk Secures his Legacy
The undisputed heavyweight championship is on the line when WBC champion Tyson “The Gypsy King” Fury (34-0-1, 24 KOs) squares off against unified champion Oleksandr Usyk (21-0, 14 KOs) on May 18 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Fury has always thought of himself as the best of the best. But does a win over Usyk make the big man from England the greatest of all time? According to him, the answer is an emphatic yes.
FAITH IN ONESELF
Fury has felt like the underdog since he first picked up a pair of boxing gloves. During an exclusive interview with DAZN Boxing, the 35-year-old spoke on overcoming the doubters and skeptics.
“If I listened to ‘man’ throughout my whole career, I wouldn’t be here today because everyone said I couldn’t be a boxer. I wouldn’t be a boxer, and I couldn’t be. Too clumsy, too big, too heavy, can’t move, can’t take a shot, can’t punch . . . The reason that I’m here is because I didn’t listen to ‘man’, and I’m following God’s destiny for me.”
UNDERSTAND THE ASSIGNMENT
Fury used his self-belief and hard work to become a world champion and a superstar in the sport. But he’s up against a daunting task in Usyk.
Several pundits rank the reigning unified champion as the most skilled fighter in the division. Usyk is also the former undisputed champion at cruiserweight and is currently ranked third in the 3kingsboxing.com Top Ten fighter rankings. During pre-fight interviews, Fury concedes that Usyk is the best fighter he’s faced.
ABOVE THEM ALL?
Given the accomplishments of his upcoming opponent, The Gypsy King thinks defeating Usyk makes him the best heavyweight in the world today and puts him above everyone in the division’s history.
“I think this win puts me at number one, barring none. Beating Usyk now puts me at number-one status of all time.”
It’s a bold statement that is certainly debatable. Many in the boxing community will argue that the current division is not as deep or talented as the division in the 1970s or 1990s. Fury’s resume doesn’t compare with fighters like Muhammad Ali, Evander Holyfield, and Lennox Lewis.
However, Fury has established himself as the best heavyweight in the world in the past decade. With unusual athleticism, coordination, high-level skill, and ring intelligence wrapped in a 6’9” body, there’s never been a heavyweight like the reigning WBC champion. If physical attributes count for anything, the big man from Great Britain could hang and compete with anyone from any era.
At the very least, Fury is making a hell of an argument for himself. He’s beaten every man put in front of him as a professional. A win, especially in dominant fashion, over the highly accomplished Usyk will do nothing but strengthen his claim.
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