Fury, Usyk set for historic fight, who snatches the big crown?

On Saturday, two undefeated heavyweight boxers, Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk, will clash in the Kingdom Arena, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with all the major heavyweight titles at stake – WBC, WBA, IBF, WBO, and IBO. Wondering why there is an abundance of boxing organisations? It may be because of the sport’s lucrative nature.

Originally slated for February, the fight was delayed because of Fury’s facial injury.

The world is now on the verge of crowning an undisputed heavyweight champion, a feat not seen since Lennox Lewis in 1999. It may, however, end up not being a history-remaking fight, depending on the outcome, which if it ends in a draw means both boxers retain their respective titles.

With Fury involved, this bout could end in a draw, even though the angst displayed by the two camps suggests the fight will have a winner.

Both boxers were knocked down in their last fights. Fury had to recover from a Francis Ngannou knock-out to win 2-1 on the final cards, while Usyk was saved from a first loss when Daniel Dubois’ KO punch in the fifth round was declared a low blow. Usyk recovered from that setback to deliver a ninth-round knockout and retain his titles.

This shows a vulnerability in both boxers, so the best strategy will carry the day. Fury has the height, weight advantage, better reach, and maybe the leg work, while Usyk is not called the cat for nothing. The Ukrainian is a master of cutting off the ring, getting on his opponent’s blind side, and cornering his opponent for the knockout.

According to the score, “The 6-foot-9 Fury is a master of using his heavy build and swarming and leaning on his opponents to tire out their lower halves. He successfully employed this strategy to dismantle Deontay Wilder in the second fight of their trilogy series to win the WBC belt. He also possesses elite hand speed, a high in-ring IQ, and an unmatched determination to overcome the odds when it matters most.”

In an interview with BoxNation, Fury acknowledged he will be facing the best opponent in his career. “I am putting him (Usyk) as the best man I have ever fought. Better than [Vitali] Klitschko, better than [Deontay] Wilder, better than [Dillian] White, better than [Derek] Chisora, better than them all.

“He’s the best man I have ever fought. Two-time two-weight champion, and he’s an Olympic gold medallist too.”

When asked about his impression of Usyk as a heavyweight after dominating the cruiserweight division, Fury replied, “Yep, absolutely. Been very impressed with all the stuff he’s done.”

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Usyk eyes a victory in this fight to bring some comfort to his Ukrainian people as they continue their war with Russia. He told the Daily Mail that while the fight against Fury was important, winning the war against Russia was more important.

“Either we are going to be free or we will be destroyed. I believe in Ukraine even more than myself and I do believe in myself and that I will beat Tyson Fury,” Usyk told the Daily Mail.

“For me, the fight is important. Winning four belts is important. Being undisputed is important. But, more importantly, it’s about giving that emotion and feeling of joy to my Ukrainian people. My Ukrainian friends, my Ukrainian soldiers. It’s an opportunity to share some positivity with them and I want to do that.”

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Usyk has complained about the ring to be used on Saturday. His complaint was on the seams that hold the canvas together, though the Ukrainian has been silently confident he can do the job on Fury despite his height, weight, and reach advantages.

The two boxers are deeply religious. Fury believes it is his destiny to be the undisputed world heavyweight champion, just as Usyk believes it was written in the stars about him. Thus, we are set for fireworks in the ring of fire in Riyadh on Saturday.

The undercards kick off the event at 5 p.m. and the main bout is expected to go ahead at about 11 p.m. Nigerian time.