‘I think both guys are in those conversations’

Nothing about the 6ft 3ins Oleksandr Usyk is ordinary, especially relative to other heavyweights. He is undersized, a natural cruiserweight, but still he found a way to defeat the 6ft 9ins Tyson Fury in their May 2024 bout for the undisputed heavyweight championship.

Fury-Usyk will rematch this Saturday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on pay-per-view.

Usyk, a 37-year-old from Ukraine, is the first fighter in the four-belt era to hold undisputed titles at both cruiserweight and heavyweight. Though the first fight with Fury was a split decision decided by one point on the pivotal scorecard, most saw it as a clear win for Usyk. With a 22-0 record (14 KOs), Usyk is looking at potentially cracking some all-time-best heavyweights lists with a win on Saturday. In his short stint at heavyweight, he has already beaten Anthony Joshua twice, Daniel Dubois, and Fury.

Trainer John Pullman, who once guided the 6ft 6ins heavyweight Gerald Washington to a world title shot against Deontay Wilder, believes that Usyk is already comparable to the all-time great heavyweights. 

“Usyk was undisputed at cruiserweight,” Pullman said. “He cleared out that division, and now he’s doing the same thing in the heavyweight division. That’s a big deal, plus there is no glaring weakness in his game.”

Pullman also thinks Usyk came to the heavyweight division as an afterthought while the 36-year-old Fury, who enters with a record of 34-1-1 (24 KOs), was the heavyweight of the era until Usyk beat him. With Fury holding a win over Wladimir Klitschko and two stoppage victories over Deontay Wilder, it felt like the modern heavyweight era was his.

“It is a really interesting fight to me,” Pullman said. 

Pullman notes Fury’s great history in rematches.

“Tyson Fury has a great history when it comes to rematching his opponents,” Pullman said. “He had a tough fight with Deontay Wilder. I thought he outboxed Wilder, even though he got knocked down twice the first time they fought. The second fight, he just completely ran through him. He is good at making adjustments.”

Pullman mentioned that Fury’s first fight with Derek Chisora was a “tough fight,” but “he wiped the floor with him in the following two fights.” 

Pullman noted that in the NBA, smaller players typically have a better ability to dribble the basketball, shoot the ball, and can move more quickly – while a big man is going to be more physical, but not as coordinated.

“It looked like Fury had the first fight under control,” Pullman said. “Halfway through, I thought Fury might stop Usyk. In the ninth round, they got into an exchange when Tyson was a little tired. Usyk’s technique is better.”

Pullman reiterated that a smaller man will naturally have an advantage in terms of technique and coordination from a bigger man.

Another observation: Pullman saw Fury winning the first fight until he got careless. 

“The knockdown was a big shift,” Pullman said. “The ropes held Fury up, and after the knockdown, the whole fight changed.”

Pullman believes Fury’s biggest strength is his mindset. He thinks bigger men have it easier in life, that they aren’t bullied as often, leading to a lack of mental toughness. Fury is the exception to Pullman’s rule: he has proven to be a mentally strong fighter through the various adversities he conquered throughout his career.

“Think about it. If you’re small as a kid, you’re the target,” Pullman said. “If you’re big, you’re the last guy anyone challenges. It’s easier for a big guy to run over a small guy than vice versa.”

Pullman observed that big guys don’t tend to age well in general, not just in boxing. Fury’s condition is among the most pressing questions for the rematch.

As for where Fury stands in the sport, Pullman believes he has already cemented his place as a legend. 

“Fury’s got the resume,” Pullman said. “This rematch is going to say a lot about his place in history. If he makes the adjustments and wins, he’s right there with the best heavyweights ever.”

Pullman explained that every era is different, but sometimes people romanticize the past.

“Ali made a lot of mistakes, the way he pulled back and had his hands down a lot and laid against the ropes,” Pullman said. “You are not asking me who would win, Ali or Usyk, or Ali or Fury? You’re asking me, would they be in those conversations? I have to say, yeah, I think both those guys are in those conversations.”