Tyson Fury Says He Will Stop Oleksandr Usyk
Tyson “The Gypsy King” Fury (34-0-1, 24 KOs) feels he’s the ruler of the heavyweight division. The reigning WBC champion intends to prove that in his showdown against unified champion Oleksandr Uysk (21-0, 14 KOs) for the undisputed heavyweight title. Utterly confident of victory, Fury says that Usyk will not last the distance.
Originally scheduled for February 18, Usyk versus Fury will instead occur on May 18 at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. It’s one of the most anticipated fights of the year.
Despite what’s at stake, Fury has a very business-like approach and views this upcoming clash as just another fight. During an exclusive interview with the media outlet The Stomping Ground, the 35-year-old said he’s done it all in this sport, and the fight against Usyk is merely icing on the cake.
FAR FROM IMPRESSED
But that doesn’t mean Fury lacks focus and enthusiasm. He’s highly motivated in what is the biggest fight of his career. When asked about his assessment of Usyk and how he thinks the fight will go, The Gypsy King feels that he steamrolls the unified champion.
“To be honest, I haven’t been that impressed with him. He does what he’s got to do, he’s got his wins, he’s been paid. He gets the job done and goes home.
Is he good enough to beat The Gypsy King? I don’t think so . . . I think I’ll take him out inside seven rounds.”
SELF-ASSURED OR OVERCONFIDENT?
For someone standing 6’9”, Fury has remarkable agility and balance. On the inside, he uses his imposing size and girth to lean on and wear opponents down when he’s on the inside. The WBC champion can box and bite down and win phonebooth warfare.
But he must bring his A-game to beat Usyk. Since moving up to heavyweight in 2019, Usyk has established himself as arguably the most skilled fighter in the division.
The unified champion has retained his power from his days as a cruiserweight world champion. Currently ranked third in the 3kingsboxing.com Top Ten Fighter rankings, Usyk is coming off an eighth-round stoppage over Daniel Dubois in August 2023.
Fury seemed unfocused in his last outing – a split-decision win over MMA star Francis Ngannu in October 2023. That will not be the case in this upcoming fight with Usyk.
The Gypsy King is a talented fighter with immense pride. Does Fury have the smarts, will, and firepower to get the victory over Usyk? Absolutely. If Fury backs up his prediction and makes easy work of Usyk, it will be quite a feat.
