This Saturday: The Rematch – Usyk Vs. Fury II – Who Wins?

We’re almost there. Or, to be far more accurate, the two fighters are almost there. Imagine the pressure, if you possibly can, as we inch ever closer, as the two fighters – Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury – edge ever closer to their, let’s say it again, must-win fight live on DAZN. The pressure on the shoulders of Usyk and Fury must be immense, even if neither heavyweight shows it.

Mental issues and pressure aside, which of the two veterans of the game is in better physical shape heading into the rematch? Usyk we know is always in magnificent physical condition, while Fury can and does whip himself into great physical shape, the big man’s engine truly remarkable at times. Fury, some people who profess to be in the know, will come in significantly heavier on Friday at the official weigh-in, and there are mixed opinions on how this might serve Fury if it is in fact true.

Some experts (and everybody loves an expert, do they not!) say a heftier Fury will have a shot against Usyk early, but will then almost certainly run out of gas if Usyk is still there after about five or six rounds.

Others, who still fail to give Usyk the credit his remarkable skills deserve, to say nothing of his masterful boxing brain, point to the demolition job a heavier Fury did on Deontay Wilder in their rematch. Some people really do know nothing about Usyk if they really think Fury could ever do to Usyk what he did to Wilder.

The first fight between Usyk, 22-0(14) and Fury, 34-1-1(24) was a great fight, a thriller. The opening rounds were close, even hard to score, Fury took the middle rounds, and then Usyk stunned Fury by busting his beak, by taking over and bossing the action, and by then wreaking havoc in the ninth round, this a three-minute period that had Fury rocking and reeling like at no other time in his fighting career. Then, showing the character we all know he has, Fury managed to not only see it to the finish line, he also bagged the 12th round.

The split decision in favour of Usyk saw the right man win, although some experts (again, don’t you love ’em?) feel Usyk won bigger than what the judges said was the case.

So what happens in the sequel?

We’ve seen a magnificent trailer to hype the fight, and we’ve seen the two protagonists go face-to-face more than once. Fans now expect another great fight, but opinion is pretty much split as far as who wins this time. Usyk is a slight betting favourite, but what do the bookies know? Usyk will be 38 in January, while Fury turned 36 in August. Who has more left in the tank at this stage, and who has more miles on the clock?

Usyk sure lives the life, but the sheer, punishing effort it took for the natural (he could so easily have played it safe and stayed at 200 pounds) cruiserweight to overcome a giant like an Anthony Joshua (X2) and Fury must have taken it’s toll on Usyk’s body. How many more times can Usyk push his natural physicality so as to excel in the land of the giants?

But on the other hand, Fury has NOT lived the life; he has boozed it up, he piles on weight between fights, and Fury is also looking in the rear-view mirror on an at times tough career (see his two wars with Wilder).

You can add up a lot of things going into Saturday’s fight, that’s for sure. But Fury could have one last great, he-brings-it-all-out, fighting effort. So too could Usyk. Maybe we will see another 12 hard, back and forth, sometimes hard to score rounds on Saturday?

Or maybe we will see utter domination, either from fighter A, or from fighter B.

Pick: Here we go. Usyk, who has lived up to the hype (a generational talent he really is) will, as the saying goes ‘find a way’ to win. It could come on points, this after both men have hit the floor, or it could come via late stoppage, with Usyk punishing Fury to the extent that he is saved by the ref or by his corner.

Bottom line: Usyk will win again on Saturday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.