By Kwasi Twum Ameyaw: On the 18th of May 2024, two different men set out on similar paths with identical objectives to carve their faces into the magical book of immortality of their chosen sports .
After the accumulation of widespread adulation by both men, fight fans feared for the worst; the absence of an undisputed heavyweight king in a quadranscentennia
Whereas some have argued that circumstances kept Fury-Usyk apart, others argue that it was by choice. As expected, accusing fingers pointed in the direction of Fury for reasons why this clash was not going to happen. But for Fury and his camp it was all a timing game – as the good book says, there is a time for everything and a season for every activity under the heavens. Business savvy boxers -those who have successfully managed their careers – appreciate that big rewards come with biding time. Indeed time and money answereth all things.
The time for this humongous clash is May 18th and of course it is Riyadh season. With Turki Alalshikh’s as the chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority, all questions from both teams have been answered with no issues. In meeting the demands of both parties, the mutual disdain was perfectly calibrated and fight fans are once again at the behest of another classic
Memorable fights share a common theme; one man wants to box, the other wants to make it a fight. In this sport, the man with the better technique comes out top. The intrigue lies with which of these two skilled technicians pulls off the masterplan in their quest for the highest accolade in sport: the Undisputed Heavyweight Champion of the World.
The trickery of the southpaw stance is a nightmare for any boxer to deal with; boxing historians have highlighted over the years how average southpaw fighters have given celebrated champions fits. Oleksandr Usyk is no ordinary southpaw. The man is gifted with superior footwork and his upper body movement is an envy for most boxers. In 24 rounds against a legitimate heavyweight champion, Anthony Joshua, Usyk proved simply to be on another level. The man is one of a kind; ‘muscle in motion’ is a befitting description. Akin to the legend Mohammed Ali, Usyk floats in the ring like a butterfly and pinning him down to unleash an onslaught of punches is almost cos90.
Principal to success in the squared circle is a fighter’s will to win. Usyk has proven that he can go through the fire and can be as stubborn as inanimate object. Contrary to popular belief by so called boxing experts, Usyk is no defensive fighter, he applies his extraordinary offence with an impregnable defence. Oleksandr Usyk was the king of the cruiserweight division and currently unified heavyweight champion. A feat that only a few men can boast of. And any man mentioned in the same brackets as the real deal Evander Holyfield deserves all the accolades.
In the opposite corner to Usyk is the man who loves a challenge. When the stakes are high, his flamboyant perfection and ageless mastery is displayed for all to see. In describing this man, there is the need for the oxford dictionary to invent further superlatives. The use of the existent superlatives for this man makes one sound like a broken record. The 6ft 9 inches King of the Gypsies’ skill set is none like what Usyk has seen so far. Tyson Fury’s skill set makes him comfortable in every corner of the ring. Blessed with fighting going backwards as well as pressing the action is simply unique. And once again, there is a convincing argument for the laws of physics and Human Biology to be reinterpreted. No man the size of Tyson Fury should be able to glide effortlessly on the canvas of a boxing ring.
Does Fury get reckless in fights? Oh yes he does. However, Fury’s capacity to achieve the seemingly impossible puts him in a class of his own. Fury’s last performance in the ring was simply un-Fury like. Getting knocked down against Ngannou was simply unacceptable. Good thing is that Fury is a realist and his ability to undertake an introspective reflection is one of his biggest assets. Unlike Deontay Wilder, Fury does not revel in easy excuses, he embraces the parallels of boxing and life. The parallels of boxing and life are exemplified exceedingly in failure. When you get knocked down, the truth is found in your conviction to get back up and fight.
The willingness of these remarkable athletes to step into a ring and reveal their courage, willpower and zeal to risk it all is simply commendable. Each man knows the tasks ahead of him. Both men will set out to use each other to measure their own legendary status along the route to immortality. As the world awaits the first bell to ring on the night, both men staying focussed and sticking to the game plans is key to victory. Usyk will get the chance to share the ring with greatness. Like all 33 professional fighters who have shared the ring with Fury, Usyk will find out that his opponent’s speed and power are beyond compare. Like finding the titre value of a volatile reagent, Tyson fury will be everywhere in the ring but nowhere to be found.
Come the 18th of May, despite being the trickiest test so far, Tyson Fury will be the name sewn into the tapestry of boxing’s historic narrative. I dare say that the history of boxing already has a page on Tyson Fury, a page with an ending yet to be written.
Bearing in mind the fearlessness of Fury and his ability to surmount the seemingly impossible, the undisputed heavyweight crown will come home to Morcambe, Lancashire, the place where it belongs.
My two Cents
Kwasi Twum Ameyaw
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