Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk will fight for the undisputed heavyweight championship – a fight which Tyson’s father John previously believed to be a walk in the park.
Speaking to JOE earlier this year, Fury senior said the Ukrainian was simply too small for his son.
“You’re fighting a blown-up middleweight who got out of a swimming pool the other day and it looks like his body’s departed. from him.
He looked like a bag of bones – no structure, no frame at all to mess with The Gypsy King a 20 stone, six foot nine powerhouse who’s got skill and heart and can do 25 rounds. Usyk is a good little fighter at middleweight, light-heavyweight, maybe cruiser, but he can’t mess with them big guys.”
Following his son’s contest with Francis Ngannou – a fight in which John admits he saw a decline in ‘strength and physical condition’ – his opinion has changed drastically.
Rather than saying Usyk has no business in the ring with Tyson, Fury told the Daily Mail recently that the man with the best training camp will win, and says his son must do a ‘180 degree turnaround’ compared to his last prep.
“I’m going to say it first. Whoever puts the best camp in and does the work will get it and deserve it. If Usyk puts a better camp in that Tyson, he works his a** off, he gets everything right, the better man will win.
It’s up to both guys what they want out of this. Tyson knows he needs an 180 degree turnaround. If he’s not prepared to do that, good luck to Usyk.”
The two champions are currently attempting to do just that, with February 17 the date they will meet in the ring.