Oleksandr Usyk sounded completely indifferent when told today that Tyson Fury has promised “a lot of pain” and “damage” for him in their rematch this Saturday night.
Usyk: “OK”
Usyk (22-0, 14 KOs) shrugged his shoulders as if to say, 'Whatever', showing that he's not at all worried about Fury's empty threats and that he intends to be the one to inflict “pain” and “damage” in the rematch in Kingdom Arena in Riyadh.
After what Oleksandr did to Fury in their previous fights, it's understandable why he doesn't care about his brave speech. Tyson will have to do more than talk the talk to worry two-time undisputed champion Usyk.
Does Fury need a rest?
Fury (34-1-1, 24 KOs) looks like he's been living a rough life over the past seven months since his 12-round majority decision on May 18. Mentally and physically, he doesn't look ready for the rematch, but he's a soldier because he's going through it. You have to respect that, but he might regret it if the outcome is worse than last time.
Former WBC heavyweight champion Fury appears to be overexerting himself and needs a long, long rest in the medical facilities. It's one of those places where he was waited on foot and leg, where he was given the best food, massages and sunlight.
He'll obviously take a nice break after the fight, but if he loses to Usyk by knockout, he might retire. Eddie Hearn has mentioned the possibility of Fury retiring if Usyk beats him, and you can't rule that out.
“All right,” Usyk told DAZN, reacting to being told that Tyson Fury said today that Saturday brings him “a lot of pain, a lot of hurt, defeat and damage.”
You look good and feel good 👌
Usyk's response to Tyson Fury promising pain: “OK.” 😅#Usyk2Fury | #RiyadhSeason | December 21 live on DAZN | Click link in bio to shop | @Turki_alalshikh pic.twitter.com/rp5eErD8L2
— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) December 18, 2024
“I thought Usyk looked very good. I'm going for Tyson Fury. I want him to win. I channel my positivity and vibes at him,” said Eddie Hearn Stomping Groundshoping Tyson Fury beats Oleksandr Usyk on Saturday. “But how to choose against Oleksandr Usyk? I'm doing it because I'm a patriot, but how do you stand up to him in this fight?
“If this fight is a classic and Fury wins, it's very likely we'll see a trilogy. But you'll also have the opportunity to have AJ fight Fury for the World Heavyweight Championship, which would be absolutely huge.
“If Fury loses, he might never fight again, or he might decide to take the fight against AJ,” Hearn said. “AJ has one, two, three or four more fights. Fury has one, two, three or four fights left. It's the same with Usyka.
Post-fight scenarios
If Fury wins, Hearn could get lucky if he decides to postpone the trilogy match with Usyka and fight Anthony Joshua next. It's the smartest move Fury and his promoters can make because they can't count on Joshua surviving his next fight without losing again.
Joshua is fed up with being put in another rebuilding situation, so he will take someone good to restore his self-esteem after his loss to Daniel Dubois on September 21st. That's the problem. AJ is 35 years old, not young, and his resistance to punches seems to have disappeared after a long career. So if Fury wins the fight with Usyka, he needs to convince his promoters to face Joshua next.
“Many of those fighters are coming to an end, but hopefully not because the new generation coming in has talent. But the established names there are a huge asset to the heavyweight division and boxing as a whole,” Hearn said.
