Today is the day when Oleksandr Usyk cemented himself as one of the greatest of all time or when Tyson Fury avenged his only loss and reclaimed his heavyweight throne. Both of them know the stakes and importance of today's match.
Fury's behavior is different for this match; he looks laser-focused and took a different approach in his interactions with Usyk. Fury verbally attacked Usyk with personal insults at a press conference on Thursday. This could be an attempt to make Ukrainians angry at the shooting. Fury's strategy for this bout could be similar to what he did in his second bout against Deontay Wilder, where he chose 273 pounds. In that second bout, he used a pressure attack that caught Wilder by surprise, dropping him multiple times and eventually stopping him in the 7th round.
Anthony Joshua fought Oleksandr Usyk twice, and he was most successful in the 9th round of their rematch, landing an incredible 28 punches. In that round, he used effective pressure and put Usyk on the back foot. Usyk, however, being the master tactician, made the necessary adjustments in the next round and outboxed Joshua, landing 39 punches in the 10th round.
It will take something truly special to beat Usyk. His control of angles, elusive movement and his ability to adapt during the fight make it extremely difficult for opponents to be truly effective against him. His known weakness is his body, and many have found limited success landing clean punches to his midsection. None more so than Daniel Dubois, who delivered a devastating blow to Usykova around the belt and sent her to the canvas. The kick was controversially ruled a low kick by the referee, but many believe it was legal. Either way, Dubois was successful with several body shots during the match.
At yesterday's weigh-in, Fury weighed in at 281 pounds, which is the same as Usyk's 226. The 55 pound difference will be for him to be bigger and stronger, to pressure and bully Usyk on the inside. In the first bout, Fury was effective early with several right uppercuts, the one he landed in the 6th round stunned Usyk and caused serious damage that left him severely shaken, leading to the famous image of Usyk kissing his crucifix. Fury will look to replicate this effort and punish him.
To be truly effective, he must outwit Usyk, which is no easy task. He must be unpredictable boxing at both short and long range. Giving Usyk different looks and attacking from different angles. Usyk is great at adapting, and if Fury becomes predictable or repetitive, Usyk will change tactics. Fury must control the distance; he didn't do it well in the first match and suffered because of it. He has a 7 inch reach advantage and has to use his jab when he is at range. He has to do it hard and throw it at a higher speed than he did in the first match. He had limited success, delivering 62 stings. He has to keep Usyk away and not let him
to enter from within until he is ready to confront him. Fury also needs to target the body hard as an effective body attack will slow Usyk down. The biggest question is can the Fury go the distance with the extra weight? If he can't slow down Usyk, he might struggle defensively. The first match was won by a narrow margin, and Usyk won by split decision. The judges scored it 115-112, 114-113 for Usyk and 114-113 for Fury. The outcome of this match could end differently as Fury's adjustments outside the ring are already visible. His focus, weight and demeanor show that he will be much more aggressive in this match. The swagger and playfulness he showed in the first match will be kept to a minimum, and instead he will spend his energy on seriously injuring Usyk. Usyk must weather the early storm and make the necessary adjustments to survive Fury's pressure. The second leg should be as good as the first.