Oleksandr Usyk has taunted Tyson Fury in his latest message to the Brit ahead of their undisputed fight this weekend.
Ukrainian technician, southpaw, former undisputed cruiserweight and now undefeated heavyweight Usyk is looking to become the first four belt-era undisputed champion in the banner division.
He must however get through the sizeable challenge of Fury this weekend in Saudi Arabia if he is to do so. While Fury has yet to claim undisputed status, he has held every other heavyweight belt and the victor this weekend will follow in the footsteps of Lennox Lewis, the last undisputed heavyweight champion, who defeated Evander Holyfield in 1999.
The pair have begun media duties in the final days leading up to the fight and have begun taunting each other and coming out in reverse stances in order to potentially confuse their opponent.
Recent workouts also showcased a leaner Fury, hinting at a strategy focused on mobility against Usyk over 12 rounds. This contrasts expectations that Fury might rely on his weight advantage, as seen in the high drama trilogy fights against Deontay Wilder.
Usyk however appears slightly heavier, suggesting a desire to increase punching power without sacrificing speed and footwork that has been so crucial to his style so far.
During one workout, Usyk had his eyes fixed on his opponent in the ring and passed comment to Steve Bunce in a clip shared by Queensberry. It suggests he thinks Fury was just fooling around.
Oleksandr Usyk is not impressed by his opponent's training methods 😂#FuryUsyk | Saturday | @boxingontnt | #RiyadhSeasonpic.twitter.com/yA34ooQMVz
— Queensberry Promotions (@Queensberry) May 15, 2024
“That’s not real training, that’s like show. My training is real. What’s going on now, it’s just show. When I step in the ring, I am focussed, it’s just me, my opponent, the referee.”
There has been plenty of debate about whether or not Fury is in decline following his last performance against boxing novice Francis Ngannou. He struggled to get on top in the fight and was even put down in round three on his way to a narrow split decision points win.
Further spice was added to the contest earlier in the week when Fury’s father John head-butted a member of Team Usyk in a heated confrontation when both teams first arrived in Saudi Arabia.
There are now a little over 48 hours to go until both men settle their differences in the ring and we crown the beat heavyweight of the era, and Fury was not happy with Eddie Hearn’s prediciton for the fight.
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