Lucas Jones
As one of the most bombastic and unpredictable heavyweight champions since the man he was named after, Hall of Famer Mike Tyson, it has become customary for WBC and lineal king Tyson Fury to say one thing on a specific topic only to completely change your mind. following day.
Part carnival host, comedian and expert in all things mental warfare, this is simply par for the course in Tyson Fury’s experience.
But as Fury (34-0-1, 24 KOs) prepares for what could be the toughest threat to his championship reign on Saturday, when he faces WBA, WBO and IBF title holder Oleksandr Usyk in the first four-belt, undisputed heavyweight championship fight in boxing history, it was interesting to hear a recent change of tone from the “Gypsy King” just days before the long-awaited showdown in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
After years of trying to embarrass, humiliate and anger Usyk through his constant use of comedic insults – from referring to the former undisputed cruiserweight champion as everything from a middleweight and a rabbit to calling him “a sausage ” – the last few days have seen Fury, 35, do nothing but praise Usyk’s impressive resume as a former Olympic gold medalist who defeated Anthony Joshua twice in recent years to become the unified heavyweight champion.
The move marked a sharp shift from Fury’s previous tactics, such as posting strange videos on social media accusing Usyk of asking for too much money and delaying the fight, even though it was actually Fury who had spent the last year being accused of avoiding him. Or five months ago, at his initial press conferencewhen Fury pushed his forehead into Usyk in an attempt to intimidate him during their confrontation, only to be pushed back as the two literally butted heads in a test of strength and machismo.
Given his size advantages, which include seven inches of reach and six inches of height, Fury remains a slight betting favorite as the clock ticks down on a fight so historically important that some consider it the sport’s biggest since that Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao were destroyed. pay-per-view records in 2015. But after years of using his mind to gain a mental advantage over almost everyone he entered the ring with, it has become fascinating to ponder whether Fury has finally found an opponent with the kind of mental fortitude that he simply cannot break.
And all of this raised an interesting question: Has Fury, ever the cunning fox, finally met his match?
When asked about Fury’s change in tactics this week during a meeting with TNT Sports, Usyk didn’t mince words about how impenetrable your own mental foundation continues to be.
“It’s a waste of time because it doesn’t work. For me, I have focus and I have a dream,” Usyk said. “[When I look at him,] I don’t see his eyes, I see it like this [Usyk points to his nose,] like a sniper. I notice when my opponent is nervous. It’s like it’s my target.
“I don’t think about Tyson Fury or what Tyson Fury says because Tyson is bipolar. One week, Tyson says I’m a bad guy. This is Tyson, you know? I think Tyson is a good man, it’s true because he is a father, a son and a champion. But Tyson plays mentally. This is my life, I’m not playing.
A native of war-torn Ukraine who put his career on hold for an entire year in 2023 to serve his country on the front lines of the ongoing conflict with Russia, Usyk has spent most of his career building a resume, a legacy and a unique legacy. personality.
Although he learned the English language, Usyk speaks a lot through facial expressions and strategic reactions. Armed with dry humor and a mischievous laugh stolen from the Joker character of “Batman” fame, Usyk is always on, always ready, and never easy to fully interpret what his true feelings and intentions are with every response.
While Fury has built a storied reputation as a decorated champion whose toughness and size are as much of a reason for his success as he is bringing middleweight speed to the division, he has yet to face another heavyweight as skilled, thoughtful and cunning as the left-hander.
So what does Fury think about Usyk’s claim that he can’t be shaken by any kind of mind games?
“I think when people talk like that, I’m already in their minds,” said Fury CBS Sports on Wednesday. “I’m like Doctor X, I’m already in his mind, living rent-free inside it. Every time he wakes up in the middle of the night, he sees Tyson Fury’s face. in the morning he sees my face. When he closes his eyes at night, he sees my face. Every time he sees my face, his heart beats very fast.
From Fury’s perspective, he has never had a problem with Usyk as a fighter and claims to have been consistent in praising him. But it’s hard to avoid the reality that fight week saw Fury shift to a much more complimentary tone.
“I have always respected his boxing credentials and never questioned them,” Fury said. “I’ve called him an ugly bunny and an ugly doser many times and I’ll stand by that. However, I’ve never questioned his credentials as a boxer. It’s not about how he looks or how wide his teeth are open or how ugly he is. It’s about fights of boxing, so, putting that aside, I can respect his achievements as a boxer and as a man.
Much of the uncertainty surrounding the downside of Saturday’s fight surrounds Fury, despite him being two years younger than the 37-year-old Usyk. Not only does Fury appear to have racked up more miles physically in and out of the ring, some critics have debated whether he’s ever been the same since his 2021 trilogy win over Deontay Wilder, which saw Fury dropped twice by one of the hardest punchers in the game. heavyweight history.
It’s a debate that has holes, however, as Fury looked better than ever just six months after Wilder’s third fight, when he knocked out Dillian Whyte with a single punch in round 6. But it’s a topic that aggressively resurfaced last October , when Fury was criticized for scheduling a very lucrative fight in Saudi Arabia against former UFC champion Francis Ngannou just months before his original date to fight Usyk (which was postponed in February due to Fury’s cut in training camp).
Fury weighed in at the heaviest weight of his career – almost 278 pounds – and was lucky to survive with a hard-fought split decision win against his rookie opponent after being knocked down hard in the third round. , he was forced to hold and punch from the outside just to survive with just activity against the bigger puncher.
With a history of fighting up or down the level of his competition, it was easy to dismiss Ngannou’s fight as a survive-and-advance kind of thing on a night when he clearly wasn’t himself. But Fury has never been one to make excuses and refuses to do so when reflecting on his performance.
“You can only do what you can do overnight. That’s it,” said Fury. “I never make excuses about performances – good, bad or indifferent. , the undisputed, is the biggest fight of this century and the first time it has happened in this century. However, Sunday morning is in the past and a forgotten memory for me. I just carry on and do what I have to do.
“I had a fantastic training camp and a fantastic fight. [against Ngannou]. I got laid, got paid and got out of there. There is nothing more to say.”
The one topic Fury has much to say in regards to the talk he’s overheard is whether or not he’ll be able to handle the technical wizardry of what Usyk does as probably the most skilled opponent Fury has ever faced as a professional.
“When people ask me about Usyk, that’s not what I have to worry about against Usyk. That’s what he should worry about with me,” Fury said. “I only think about what I’m going to do and I never think about what the opponent is going to do. I don’t think he can handle what I’m about to do.”
Fury said that because Usyk is a lighter fighter who relies on speed and feints, he expects to weigh around 267 pounds. While the strategy makes him leaner, it’s a far cry from the 247 pounds he weighed to dazzle Wladmir Klitschko in their 2015 comeback or the 256 pounds he weighed against Wilder in their first meeting in 2018.
At that weight, Fury can maintain enough speed while remaining solid enough to take his punches, which has been a focus for SugarHill Steward and should be a necessity against a mover as dazzling as Usyk.
“I’m looking forward to getting out there and doing some demolition work,” Fury said.
Fury faced a series of gargantuan threats, such as Klitshcko and Wilder, only to rely on a mix of intelligence and cunning to disarm them. He also used his size and unquestionable heart to survive a series of smaller, tougher foes such as Steve Cunningham and Otto Wallin in some of his closest fights.
But Fury has never defeated anyone who could put together the entire package exactly like Usyk. A rare and unique fighter who will not be lured out of the game by any mental warfare tricks and is bold enough to endure whatever it takes to raise his hand for his beloved home country.
Fury may have gone from comical disrespect to excessive praise for Usyk this week, in a move that suggests, regardless of true intent, that he respects the challenge in front of him. But it’s clear he believes the difference is that there’s nothing Usyk can do to stop him from getting the job done.
“I think that after having had 350 amateur fights and 21 professional fights, I believe we have seen it all. I saw everything he had to offer and I think I can handle it,” said Fury. “It’s going to be very hard [for Usyk]. I don’t think he’s ever been in the ring with a T-rex before. He’s fought four heavyweights and none of them are like me.”
