David Benavidez is siding with unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk to defeat challenger Tyson Fury in their rematch this Saturday night in Riyadh.
WBC interim light heavyweight champion Benavidez feels that Usyk (22-0, 14 KOs) has great skills with technical and the ability to move. He does note that Fury (34-1-1, 24 KOs) has put on a lot of weight, bulking up to 281 lbs while still looking solid. However, he still thinks Usyk will win.
Usyk’s promoter, Alex Krassyuk, isn’t happy with Fury’s long beard this week and thinks he should be made to trim it before the fight on Saturday.
The length of Fury’s beard could be used as a cushion to lessen the impact of Usyk’s shots on his lantern jaw, which could save him from being knocked out. Fury is the A-side, and there’s a belief among some fans that Usyk is going to need a knockout for him to win.
That will taint the outcome if there’s a controversial decision, especially after what happened last time with Fury being given a standing eight count while he was on the verge of being knocked out in the ninth by Usyk.
Benavidez On Usyk’s Style
“I got Usyk. This is probably going to be one of the best heavyweight fights in the history of boxing,” said David Benavidez to Sean Zittel’s channel, picking Oleksandr Usyk to defeat Tyson Fury on Saturday night. “The first one was amazing. Now, Tyson Fury looks extremely motivated.
“He weighed 280, and he didn’t look fluffy. He looked strong. So, maybe the extra muscle is going to help him more in this fight, but I’m sticking with my man, Usyk. He’s a legendary fighter that knows how to do everything.
“If you want to try and achieve greatness, you’ll try to box like Usyk. Those Ukrainian fighters have such a beautiful style. It’s not just boxing implemented. They go with their footwork that comes from the Ukrainian dance. They mix it really good.
Fury may go all out to try and win by throwing low blows, leaning, shoving, and hitting Usyk on the back of the head. In other words, the tactics that Fury used in two wins over Deontay Wilder. Hopefully, there’s none of that, but Tyson looks pretty desperate for a win, and if he can’t do it cleanly, he may throw the rulebook out the window and start fouling.
“They do a lot of things that are really different and do a lot of things I’ve never seen, but the way Usyk puts it together, he looks flawless and looks amazing. So, I definitely do watch him. As far as fighting like Usyk, I can’t,” said Benavidez.
“I only watch and get inspired. I try to do some of the things, but I’m not going to try to be Usyk. I’m going to try to be my own fighter,” said Benavidez.
Former HBO commentator Jim Lampley believes Benavidez can move up to heavyweight and capture a world title. That’s hard to believe after watching him labor in his debut at 175 against Oleksandr Gvozdyk on June 15th. That fight showed that Benavidez may not ever win a world title at 175, let alone move up to heavyweight to win a belt.
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