Barry McGuigan has provided his analysis on a potential undisputed clash between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk, and believes the fight is a lot closer than many seem to believe.
Most pundits from the UK and Ireland have been picking Fury to emerge with all four belts should the two meet next, with his advantages in height and weight often cited as key factors.
However, McGuigan told Pro Boxing Fans that Usyk’s speed and technical prowess act as a counterbalance to the size of Fury and that he sees the fight as a pick ’em.
“Tough fight, it’s a hard one to predict. Everybody is favouring Tyson Fury but it’s not a foregone conclusion.”
“Usyk loves tall and rangy guys, he can do so much with them. Having that speed and versatility, the way he can box and being a southpaw, all those things combined make him a very difficult opponent to beat.”
“It’s a 50/50 fight.”
Regardless of predictions, fans will simply hope the generational clash is in fact next, after talks appear to have stalled over the past couple of weeks.
The delay was reportedly due to Fury not being able to agree an individual fee with representatives from Saudi Arabia, and news broke today that England was the new frontrunner to land the contest.
This will likely involve a host of new negotiations with team Usyk, as the Ukrainian had already reached a deal with the Saudis.
Promoter Frank Warren said the fight would “100%” take place on April 29th, meaning one would imagine the fight would have to be agreed within the next few weeks.
If finalised, Fury vs Usyk would the first undisputed heavyweight world title fight since 1999.