The contest will decide the first undisputed heavyweight champ in nearly 25 years, with both fighters unbeaten as pros.
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – In the days leading up to their undisputed heavyweight title fight, Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk seemed relaxed and eager to soak up the occasion, even as their camps taunted each other and clashed.
The biggest drama came early in the week, when Fury’s father, John, headbutted a member of Usyk’s entourage. But both the fighters had stayed light-hearted throughout the build-up – good-naturedly teasing each other, and grinning and showboating in their open workouts.
But on a baking hot Thursday evening in Riyadh, as the unbeaten fighters came together at the final news conference before the bout on Saturday, both grew terse and tight-lipped as the weight of the occasion seemed to press in.
Sitting opposite them, in the front row of a crowd of sweating journalists, entourages and VIP guests, was a grey-bearded Lennox Lewis, 58, and Evander Holyfield, 61. Lewis beat Holyfield in 1999 to become boxing’s last undisputed heavyweight champion.
On stage, Usyk, 37, was wearing a black and white traditional Ukrainian sash.
“Let’s make history. Enough. Thanks very much,” he said.
Fury, who sported a flame-coloured suit and a black trilby hat, is normally a garrulous and flamboyant figure renowned for his trash talk. But the 35-year-old British boxer also had little to say on Thursday.
Boxing has long frustrated fans with various belts and sanctioning bodies creating multiple champions at the same weights, and frequent disputes over money and clashing egos often prevent the best fighters from facing each other in their prime.
Although Fury vs Usyk has taken some taken to materialise and was postponed from its original date in February after Fury suffered a cut in training, the fact that a bout of this magnitude is finally happening – partly a result of growing Saudi influence in the sport – means many are billing it as the fight of this century, with the winner stepping into the ranks of the all-time greats.
On Thursday, chants by rival fans quickly petered out into the sweltering night as locals looked on quietly. Drones fizzed overhead as spotlights illuminated swirling dust, and gusts of wind buffeted the microphones on stage.
The host of the news conference tried and failed to draw more words from the fighters. When they stood for the traditional face-off, Fury refused to even look at his rival, flexing his biceps and gazing into the crowd, while Usyk stared at Fury intently, a smile playing on his lips.
“[This fight is] of monumental importance for the history of the heavyweight division, for boxing’s value,” combat sports analyst Luke Thomas told media a few days ahead of the fight.
How they match up
“People always complain people don’t know who the champions are. Well, now they’re going to know. And they’re going to know in the most storied division in boxing.”
Fury, who generally fights out of the orthodox stance, is a giant of a man who first became a heavyweight champion by beating Wladimir Klitschko in 2015.
Usyk – a master technician and an Olympic gold medallist who usually fights southpaw – moved up to heavyweight after dominating the cruiserweight division as a unified champion. He made his heavyweight debut in 2019 and won the WBA, WBO and IBF heavyweight belts in 2021 – outclassing the much bigger Anthony Joshua, whom Usyk has now beaten twice.
In his last fight, Usyk stopped Daniel Dubois in the ninth round, but it was not a totally comfortable fight for the Ukrainian, who was hurt on a couple of occasions.
Combat sports commentator Sean Wheelock cautioned against taking too much from their last fights.
“For me, this is an extremely even fight between two incredibly talented heavyweights,” Wheelock told media.
“I think that Fury definitely relies on power punches more, he’s got incredible power when he has his timing. Usyk obviously also has power, and I think Usyk often showcases that he can be a bit more of a technical and slicker, boxer.”
Fury will surely look to make the most of his considerable size advantage. He could try to maintain and control distance with his reach, and he could try to smother, rough up, lean on and drain Usyk in the clinch.
“Obviously if Fury wants to play an inside game and be heavy, you start looking at the referee,” Wheelock said.
“Are you getting warnings for excessive holding? How quickly is the referee breaking it up? And even world-class referees are willing to do things differently in that situation.”
Usyk’s fighting moniker is “The Cat” due to his speed and agility; his head movement and fast feet make him hard to hit, with his exceptional footwork creating angles, cutting off the ring, and tormenting and exhausting opponents. His movement also gives him the leverage to deliver blistering counters as he evades shots.
But Usyk will not only have to overcome Fury’s size advantage; the Gypsy King is also highly experienced, has great ringcraft, and is full of feints and is elusive for such an enormous man. Fury also has exceptional stamina, has lost a lot of weight for this bout, and has incredible powers of recovery – he’s gotten up from several knockdowns by Wilder, currently the most devastating puncher in boxing – although there’s always a risk that Fury’s extensive scar tissue can be carved open.
Fury can fight southpaw and might switch stances to counter Usyk’s awkward style. Both trained in their opposite stances in the open workouts on Wednesday night.
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