Promoter Eddie Hearn says Anthony Joshua had Oleksandr Usyk “clearly winning” against Tyson Fury last Saturday night in his undisputed heavyweight championship fight in Riyadh.
Hearn’s Optimism for Fury in a Rematch
Hearn felt that Usyk just “narrowly” defeated Fury (34-1-1, 24 KOs), and he thinks that Tyson can win the rematch. That’s a bit of a surprise because few people are giving the 35-year-old Fury much of any chance in a second fight with Usyk.
Some argue that the main reason Hearn is chirping about Usyk’s win over Fury being close is so that he can build up Gyspy King for a big-money fight against Anthony Joshua. The reality is that Fury should have been knocked out by Usyk in the ninth round, and he was saved by the referee.
Even with more weight loss and a long training camp, Fury looks like his punch resistance is gone after his three punishing fights against Deontay Wilder. Although Fury came out of those clashes with Wilder victorious, there was a huge cost in terms of his ability to take a punch.
Controversy Surrounding the Ninth Round
Fury was out on his feet in the ninth round after taking a shellacking from IBF/WBA/WBO champion Usyk (22-0, 14 KOs). The referee gave Fury a standing eight count rather than stopping it like many refs would have done, and that saved thie Gyspy King from being knocked out.
“Fury can make adjustments, and Fury can win the fight, but Usyk is a genius,” said Eddie Hearn to BoxNation about his belief that Tyson Fury can win a rematch with undisputed heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk.
“There were times earlier in the fight where I was thinking, ‘His size, I don’t think he can get to Fury,’ and he did and it was amazing. It was an amazing event.
“I went over the fight and I went, ‘What do you think? Who’s got it?’ And he went, ‘Usyk is a clear winner,’ and I was like, ‘Oh,’ but a lot of people felt like that,” said Hearn about what Anthony Joshua told him when he asked who he felt was the winner of the Fury vs. Usyk fight. “I had him winning, but narrowly.”
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