Joseph Parker is confident that recently beaten former WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury will make the adjustments needed in his next training camp to come back to defeat undisputed heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk in their rematch on December 21st.
From King to Caricature
Parker feels that the 35-year-old Fury (34-1-1, 24 KOs) will adapt and improve his game to “take care of business” against Usyk (22-0, 14 KOs).
Unfortunately, the boxing public doesn’t see Fury capable of winning the rematch against Usyk. They feel that he’s lost his punch resistance and mobility and has become a caricature of the fighter he was in 2015 when he pulled off the best win of his career against Wladimir Klitschko.
Against Usyk, Fury looked slow, bloated, weak, and out of shape despite having had back-to-back training camps to prepare. He was carrying a lot of excess weight around his midsection, and his trunks were pulled up even higher than usual to cover his waist.
This was the second consecutive poor performance from Fury. In his previous fight, he labored to a controversial ten-round split decision against Francis Ngannou last October.
Fury’s supporters gave him a pass for that performance, blaming it on him being out of shape and not taking Ngannou seriously. But after an equally sluggish effort against Usyk, you can’t dismiss the possibility that Fury has deteriorated and he’s done as a fighter.
Concerns Over Fury’s Decline
Many fans believe Fury was saved from a knockout in the ninth round by the referee who worked the Usyk fight, with him being given a standing eight count when he was hurt.
That put an asterisk next to the outcome of that fight in some people’s minds, who felt that the superstar Fury was given special treatment to save his hide from an embarrassing knockout.
Fury was often against the ropes during the fight, using them to support his frame, which is a hallmark of an aging fighter. They often lean against the ropes for support because their legs are gone.
That’s NOT going to change for the rematch against Usyk. Fury turns 36 in August, and he’s not suddenly going to age in reverse to become the 27-year-old fighter that he beaten Klitschko nine years ago.
“It was quite hard to watch in the ninth round. I felt in that fight, it kind of sealed the deal and made the night that much more epic,” said Joseph Parker to iFL TV about his thoughts on watching his friend, Tyson Fury, lose to unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk last month on May 18th.
“Both guys had their moments in the fight, but Usyk had that clear ninth round where he put it on him and caught Tyson with some good shots. It was quite hard to watch.
“Very capable,” said Parker when asked if Fury could avenge his defeat in the rematch against Usyk on December 21st. “Whatever he’s got to do to adjust, whether it’s his training or whatever he needs to do, I know he’s going to find a way to get the camp right.
“He had a great camp, but he’s going to get the camp better and come in and take care of business at the end of the year. He’ll know what to do to come back and put in a good performance, a better one, and get the win,” said Parker.
Fury’s Questionable Rankings
Ring Magazine Heavyweight Ratings:
Champion: Oleksandr Usyk
1. Tyson Fury
2. Anthony Joshua
3. Joseph Parker
4. Zhilei Zhang
5. Agit Kabayel
6. Daniel Dubois
7. Jared Anderson
8. Joe Joyce
9. Filip Hrgovic
10. Efe Ajagba
Some would argue that Fury doesn’t deserve to be rated #1 in the Ring Magazine ratings and not above #2 Anthony Joshua. Is Fury fighting as well as Joshua right now?
After I watched Fury’s last two fights against Usyk and Francis Ngannou, he doesn’t belong in the top seven in Ring Magazine’s list. He’s not fighting on the level of Parker, Kabayel, Zhang, Anderson, Dubois or Joshua.
With Fury coming off a loss to Usyk, he should be pushed down a few spots to three or four at the very least.
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