Oleksandr Usyk is a dangerous man who can shock the world by beating Tyson Fury

ByIan Shutts
Oleksandr Usyk

Even before Tyson Fury and Derek Chisora had made their respective ring walks before their third career showdown, fight fans were already wondering who Fury would take on next.

With all due respect to the lion-hearted Chisora, the result of this bout was a foregone conclusion as soon as it was announced and that proved to be the case when Fury stopped the Zimbabwean-born fighter during the tenth round.

Usyk and Fury set the tone 

Fortunately, supporters at the impressive Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and millions watching from around the world didn’t have to wait long to find out who Fury wants to duel next after he came up close and personal with Oleksandr Usyk who was ringside during the fight in North London. Predictably, the pair were encouraged to come face to face to speak following Fury’s win although it was by no means a two-way exchange when they did as the Ukrainian chose to stay silent whilst his English counterpart unleashed a barrage of threats.

It should be said that Usyk prefers to let his performances in the ring do the talking which is why it wasn’t a shock to see him soak up Fury’s tirade with the composure that he did. What was surprising, however, was the overall response to this impromptu face-off, with Fury’s camp instantly labeling Usyk as too small to win any potential fight in 2023. In times gone by, Fury has even gone on the record by saying that he will beat the Ukrainian inside six rounds.

Of course, it’s important to keep in mind that there is a significant amount of posturing done before any fight with opposing camps always keen to highlight the weaknesses of the opponent they are set to go up against. In Usyk’s case though, the reality is that the Ukrainian doesn’t have any discernible shortcomings in the ring apart from the size difference that Fury’s corner have been quick to jump on.

Admittedly, Fury’s height and reach advantage are noticeable but it won’t automatically hand him a victory against a man that has an iron will. At least, the long and short of it is that Usyk is an incredibly dangerous operator and his back-to-back victories over Anthony Joshua illustrate as much.

Usyk will use Fury’s superior size to his advantage

Naturally, Usyk’s camp will be under no illusions as to the size of the task they have on their hands in attempting to beat Fury but instead of trying to match the Englishman blow for blow, they will almost certainly formulate a game plan that focuses on using the weight difference to their advantage. Essentially, it will come down to staying out of reach of Fury’s devastating jab whilst tiring the six-foot-nine fighter out over the course of 12 rounds of heavyweight boxing. Tellingly, this was a strategy that Usyk successfully pulled off against Joshua in September 2021 when he won their first encounter by way of a unanimous decision, as The Guardian covered. It was an iconic win in London which, extraordinarily, ended with Usyk rocking Joshua late on after the 33-year-old’s legs had gone owing to the monumental effort he had put in during the first half of the fight.

Usyk has the support of his fellow pros

It was, as we now know, to no avail and as soon as the Under Armour athlete’s energy levels dropped, the intelligent Usyk pounced. It’s worth saying that this was a strategy that many expected Usyk to adopt and one man in particular who was in little doubt about the outcome of the showdown in Saudi Arabia was Australian boxer Tim Tszyu. Tszyu is, of course, one of the most exciting upcoming boxers around and is set to fight for the undisputed super-welterweight championship of the world in January when he takes on Jermell Charlo in a bout in which Betway, as of 15th December, prices the Australian at odds of +225 of winning. However, on that occasion back in August 2022 and in the build-up to the bout in Jeddah, Tszyu was adamant that Usyk would easily outfox Joshua and as sure as night follows day, that is exactly what happened. 

Revealingly, the 28-year-old wasn’t alone in predicting that Usyk would win with many other high-profile boxers like Deontay Wilder, as the Daily Mail reveals, also convinced of the Ukrainian’s ability to bring bigger men to their knees.

The Herculean task facing Fury 

The reality is that Fury is set for one of the most awkward nights of his professional life when he takes on Usyk in 2023 and now that the WBC has welcomed the fight (provided the Gypsy King fights his mandatory opponent first), supporters can begin to look forward to a match that may deliver a result that shakes the world of boxing.

If Fury is to successfully preserve his undefeated record, he will have to pull out the best performance of his career to date.

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