Tyson Fury claims that he injured Oleksandr Usyk so badly in their previous fight earlier this year that he “Might not be the same fighter” in their rematch on December 21st.
Here’s the reality: Fury (34-1-1, 24 KOs) looks more like the one who might be the same fighter after being knocked around the ring by Usyk in the infamous round nine, needing to be the same by the referee.
We don’t know what the 36-year-old ‘Gypsy King’ Fury has left after that. Fans noted that Fury looked like he’d aged in his appearance at the press conference this week, sporting a lumberjack look with the beard, cap, and scruffy look. That fight took the best out of Fury, leaving him a physical shell of his former self. Usyk looked at least 10 years younger, which isn’t good for Fury.
Dressed as a Hitman at the press conference, Usyk (22-0, 14 KOs) revealed that he plans on finishing the job by erasing Fury on December 21st and will have accomplished his mission. With all the cash Fury hoped to get in an all-British clash against Anthony Joshua in 2025, getting eviscerated by Usyk will destroy that fight. Don’t be surprised if His Excellency chooses not to make that match after Usyk gets done with him.
“I know he was injured after the fight and had a broken face and broken jaw. I know he pushed himself to the limit at 37. He might not be the same fighter, and I know at 270 pounds, getting banged up and down by a man my size, it ain’t going to be healthy for him in his rematch,” said Tyson Fury to BoxNation, talking about his belief that the damage that he inflicted on Oleksandr Usyk in their first fight on May 18th may leave him physically decayed for their rematch on December 21st.
Usyk has already denied having suffered a broken jaw from his fight with Fury, and he says this is just another example of Tyson talking just to talk and coming up with stuff on the fly.
Even if it were true that Usyk was physically worn down from his fight with Fury, he’d still be a pure nightmare for him in the rematch just on his technical ability and mobility. Usyk has so many facets to his game that he would still have too much for the Gypsy King.
“I will win, and I will have a trilogy with him again. My old pal [Anthony Joshua] got sparked out the other day, putting our fight dead in the water for me. After I beat Usyk again, I’ll have a trilogy with him because that’s the fight that makes the most sense,” said Fury about wanting to go straight into a trilogy with Usyk after he beats him rather than face Joshua.
