Promoter Frank Warren believes the rematch between current undisputed heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury will be even bigger than the first fight on May 18.
Usyk won a split decision in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in a war, and Warren told the Queensberry Promotions YouTube channel his expectations were high for the return back in Saudi Arabia on December 21.
“I’m very excited about it. It was an unbelievable fight the first one,” said Warren. “The biggest fight of the 21st Century, an unbelievable heavyweight fight, nothing in it. Both guys left everything in the ring, they both gave their all and they want to dance again so that’s going to happen.
“It’s been pushed back. One of them, not Tyson, Usyk I understand sustained an injury which is the reason why he won’t be fit before then, but that’s a perfect date for it. Give them both time to recuperate from a very, very, very tough fight, and hopefully we will see the same again. Tyson wants it. I want it. It’s as simple as that, in that I want it if Tyson wants it.”
Last year’s Day of Reckoning bill took place in Saudi Arabia on December 23, but Usyk-Fury II already has momentum behind it because of the fall-out of the first one, in that it was a superb fight and, according to Fury’s camp, a controversial outcome.
“It works out at a good time of year,” Warren continued. “We did one over here last year just before Christmas, it had a tremendous turnout, done really good numbers, and I think this will do even bigger. This will be a massive fight. It will be much bigger than the first one because of how close it was, what a dynamic fight it was, how dramatic it was, it will have all that again and more next time. I promise you.”
Asked what Fury needed to do differently next time, Warren said: “He’s got to do what he does well which is box, go out there, get behind his jab, use his jab and let his shots go. And he did that. And up until mid-fight he really got on top of it for me, and he [Usyk] got a second wind, the other guy, and once he caught Tyson on the nose in that seventh round, it just changed the dynamic of the fight. Tyson just seemed to lose his focus very briefly, then obviously he [Usyk] had the big round in the ninth, but it was a fight of two halves. That’s how I looked at it. There was nothing in it for me. Tyson won the last round, he got back into it and he knows what he’s got to do better than anybody. And I’m sure Usyk does as well.
“Having said that, that fight will take a lot out of both of them. They need that time to recover and it will be interesting to see who has learned the most from the first fight.”
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