Two-division world champion and recen International Boxing Hall of Fame inductee, Tim Bradley, has broken down the two areas of Tyson Fury’s game that he believes are there to be exploited, and says that Oleksandr Usyk could be the man to do it.
Although anticipation for the undisputed clash is high, there is no denying that many in the boxing community see Fury as a ‘big’ favourite against the much smaller formerly undisputed cruiserweight champion, Usyk.
However, with so many experts and pundits fixated on the physical advantages of the Brit, Bradley told Fight Hype that there are two potential weaknesses that are being overlooked.
“He boxes in a lot of straight lines and he’s been boxing in a lot of straight lines recently. If you go back and you watch him against [Deontay] Wilder, watch the first couple of rounds and you will see that when he is stepping back, he is stepping back in a straight line [multiple times].”
“If he continues that, you’re going to see Usyk follow him out, he’s going to be looking to follow him out because his feet are not set, he’s not punching, he’s just stepping back and trying to get out of range.”
“You’re going to see Usyk attacking his body a whole hell of a lot, because he [Fury] is so tall, so big and it’s not like he crouches down and tucks his elbows in to block shots, he tries to get his whole body out of the way.”
“He’s pretty slow on his feet, Usyk is a little bit quicker and to the point, with his footwork, Usyk’s going to be looking to expose his body, one, and he will be looking to catch Fury on the way out [of exchanges], in those straight lines.”
Bradley went on to say that Fury is ‘a master at making adjustments,’ and if he fights off the back foot and makes it rough it should be an easy night for the Brit. That’s where his pick lies.
Fury and Usyk will meet in Riyadh in December or early 2024, with the Ukrainian believing the latter is more realistic.