Oleksandr Usyk’s former coach, James Ali Bashir, is leaning towards him defeating Tyson Fury in their rematch on December 21st at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Usyk’s Evolution: A New Set of Tools
Bashir states that WBA/WBC/WBO heavyweight champion Usyk (22-0, 14 KOs) will make improvements to his game, fixing the flaws from his previous fight against Fury (34-1-1, 24 KOs) on May 18th, and will come into the rematch with a whole new set of tools.
“I know Oleksandr Usyk won’t be facing the same Tyson Fury in the rematch, but he won’t be facing the same Usyk,” said coach James Ali Bashir to Secondsout, talking about the December 21st rematch between the two heavyweights.
“Just like Tyson Fury is going to go back and correct his flaws, Oleksandr Usyk is going to go back and correct his flaws,” Bashir continued. “If I had to lean towards either one of these guys, I would lean towards Oleksandr Usyk because he’s the consummate professional.
Fury’s Decline: Age and Lifestyle Factors
Fury has aged considerably since then. Fury turns 36 next month on August 12th, and he’s not a young 36. The rich foods and the leisure life of a wealthy millionaire have taken a lot out of Fury, as it would anybody living that kind of life.
Fury has looked awful in his last two fights against Usyk and Francis Ngannou, and it’s impossible to ignore the reality of his physical decline. His fights against the British journeymen Dillian Whyte and Dereck Chisora massed the age in 2022, but his last two fights have spotlighted it. Fury has gotten old.
“Tyson Fury is not. Tyson takes these breaks [while not in training camp] to blow off steam. Oleksandr Usyk does not take breaks to blow off steam. Oleksandr Usyk takes breaks to concentrate on getting better.
Usyk’s Underestimated Power
“Oleksandr is a strong guy. Now when I say, Oleksandr Usyk can hurt you, now everybody is oohing & ahhing. When he hurt Tyson Fury in that fight, he hurt him bad. Did you see Tyson’s eyes when he went against the ropes [in the ninth round]? His eyes said, ‘I’m hurt, and I’m in serious trouble here.’”
When Usyk fought at cruiserweight, he was viewed as a knockout puncher, and he scored many stoppages. When he moved up to heavyweight, the knockouts disappeared because he was fighting bigger guys and used more boxing tactics to win.
“If it had not been for that referee, I think he would have knocked Tyson unconscious. When Tyson fell against those ropes, he was gone. I know the guy [Usyk]. I worked with him for three years. I know he can punch, and he’s a strong guy. He’s stronger than what people give him credit for. He’s deadly, and then when he gets you hurt, he’s going to finish you. That’s Oleksandr Usyk.”
Usyk would have knocked Fury out in the ninth round of their fight last May had the referee stopped the action to give a standing eight count to Tyson. That was so blatant that it was sad to watch.
For many boxing fans, Usyk’s first fight was a knockout win, similar to Fury’s first match with Deontay Wilder, when he was knocked out in the twelfth round and the referee inexplicably gave him a count.
“If you go in there underestimating his power, he can hurt you. Now everybody understands what I’m saying, including Tyson Fury,” said Bashir.
A Different Fight: Usyk’s New Approach
Oleksandr learns quickly and adapts and develops a whole new set of skills. His tactics and approach will change. He’s not likely to hang back and box as much for the rematch, knowing that Fury is vulnerable to power shots,
Predictably, Usyk will focus on throwing power shots and using combination punching because those are the things that gave Fury the most problems last time. Usyk’s aggression will likely be different during the rematch.
He won’t be the same fighter that Fury fought last time, and it could be a problem for the Gypsy King if he cannot return to the form he showed in his second fight against Deontay Wilder in February 2019.
Read the full article here
