Evander Holyfield has weighed in on a potential undisputed heavyweight clash between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk, and believes it’s crucial for Fury to use his physical advantages if he is to come out on top.
Holyfield claims that, for his money, Usyk will emerge victorious should Fury fail to neutralise his edge in speed.
In an interview with iFL TV, Holyfield said:
“It’s pretty much how Tyson Fury fights.
When I look at the fight, both of the guys are good fighters. But the smaller guy got faster hands, and if the bigger guy doesn’t make him fight his fight, he’ll win.
That’s the reason I went up, because I realised I’d be quicker than everybody.
Now the big guys got the rhythm and balance and everything the smaller guys have, so it’s difficult for smaller guys.”
Like Usyk, Holyfield was an undisputed champion at cruiserweight before moving up to heavyweight and having huge success, the pinnacle of which came in 1992 when he became a two division undisputed champion by defeating Larry Holmes.
Hype for a potential clash between Fury and Usyk has been in overdrive this month, sparked by a post fight face off after ‘The Gypsy King’s stoppage win over Derek Chisora at the Tottenham Hotspurs Stadium.
Fans will have their fingers crossed for an official announcement for Fury vs Usyk in the coming weeks, after promoter Bob Arum revealed that a date and location were the only outstanding terms to be agreed.
If signed, it would be the first undisputed heavyweight title fight since 1999, when Holyfield himself faced Lennox Lewis at the Thomas + Mack Centre in Las Vegas.
Both Fury and Usyk have an unblemished professional record and have toppled elite champions in recent years, so the winner in any prospective fight would cement their place amongst the greatest heavyweights of all time.