The fight between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk for the undisputed heavyweight belts is finally on the horizon, with April 29th being the current working date for the title match. The match was initially set to occur in the Jeddah Stadium in Saudi Arabia but was later moved to the United Kingdom.
With his second victory over Anthony Joshua in 2022, Usyk successfully defended his WBA, WBO, and IBF belts and added the Ring Magazine championship to his collection. Fury has won four consecutive knockout victories and is the current WBC champion. The Gypsy King bagged the title by technical knockout against Deontay Wilder in 2020 and repeated the feat in their deciding third round in 2021.
With no impending mandatory challenges and only two boxers holding all the championships, the title fight between Fury and Usyk appears inevitable. This write-up explores everything you should know about the unification bout, including what to expect.
Usyk’s undisputed challenge set the fire
Following his second victory over Anthony Joshua, Oleksandr Usyk challenged British heavyweight Tyson Fury to come out of retirement and battle him for the undisputed world title. Usyk added that both needed the fight as the heavyweight division has not had a true undisputed champion since Lennox Lewis in 2001.
Usyk had fierce competition with Anthony Joshua, and he noted that Fury might be an even more challenging opponent. However, Usky’s courage has yet to wane. Once an undisputed champion at cruiserweight, the Ukrainian boxer believes he can win the heavyweight undisputed championship title even with Tyson Fury as a contender. Usyk noted that he was not afraid of the British boxer but saw the duel as another fight with a big man.
After the back and forth of settling preparations for the match, there have been speculations that Tyson Fury and Usyk will square off at Wembley Stadium in April to compete for the long-coveted championship. Jeff Powell of the Daily Mail first reported the decision to hold the tournament in the United Kingdom on Monday in an exclusive article. This location was picked after the Saudi Arabian government failed to show progress in the development of the Jeddah Stadium.
However, as of this writing, there has been no formal announcement of the fight because the governing authorities still need to finalise the arrangement. Nonetheless, both boxers have publicly expressed a desire to engage in combat, as they both desire to be dubbed the “undisputed” champion.
The tale of the tape: Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk
The fight between both boxers is becoming a sensation for boxing fans and punters alike. Knowing how much people look forward to the bout, online bookies will undoubtedly offer odds. If you’re interested in betting on this event, you can find the top bookies with great odds using the Bookmakers.bet betting guide.
If both boxers are to go head-to-head, you need to understand how they stack against each other to predict who’ll emerge victorious. Fury is a year younger than Usyk, but the boxer has 33 professional fights compared to Usyk’s 20. Of all his battles, Fury has won 32; one ended in a draw, and he has recorded no losses. Fury has 32 wins, but Usyk has a perfect record of 20 wins—no ties or losses.
Regarding knockouts, Fury leads with 23, while Usyk has 13. The English boxer is also taller than Usyk, standing at 6 feet 9 inches compared to the latter’s 6 feet 3 inches. With arms that are 85 inches long compared to Usyk’s 78, Fury also has a reach advantage. Fury is a traditional orthodox fighter, whereas Usyk is a southpaw; hence, their fighting styles differ.
Fury has already had two bouts in 2022, while Usyk has just had one. He first fought with Dillian Whyte in London. After briefly retiring onat the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on December 3, 2022, he fought Derek Chisora.
Oleksandr Usyk’s only fight was a rematch with Anthony Joshua on August 20, 2022, in Saudi Arabia. Both faced off in October 2021 at London’s Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, where Usyk claimed Joshua’s WBA, WBO, and IBF titles. After a solid performance from the Ukrainian in the 2022 rematch, Usyk was awarded the victory by a split decision.
Finally, give boxing fans the battle they anticipate for
Since the match has not been sealed, fans wait with bated breath. It’s an anticipated duel, as it’ll be the first of its kind since 2001, and the winner takes it all. Plus, there’s going to be a big purse. When talks of the face-off began in 2022, Fury had agreed to come out of retirement for £500 million, which would be split 50/50 between both boxers. Though he already forfeited his retirement to battle Chisora, there’s a good chance the purse remains the same.
The topic of discussion concerning the two boxers is who’ll win the battle. Many argue that Fury is the best heavyweight fighter ever. He has fought and defeated renowned opponents such as Chisora, whom he beat three times; Wladimir Klitschko, whom he beat twice; and Deontay Wilder, whom he won twice by knockout. He possesses solid foundational skills, a granite chin, fluid mobility, and laser-like accuracy.
However, Usyk also has an excellent record. Before moving to the heavyweight division in 2019, he held the title of undisputed cruiserweight champion, as he was the first to have all four major championships. One of his most notable achievements was beating Anthony Joshua in 2021 and repeating the same feat in the 2022 rematch.
In a prospective fight between both boxers, Fury, who is 6 feet 9 inches tall and weighs above 264 pounds, would tower over Usyk, who weighs just 220 pounds and stands at 6 feet, 3 inches. Yet, the southpaw might give Fury a lot more trouble by employing his speed, slipperiness, and outstanding footwork. Both boxers have different battling styles, strengths, and weaknesses. Though predicting the bout’s outcome is complicated, Fury seems to have the advantage and might emerge as the undisputed champion.