By Jude Obafemi
Tyson Fury has said he is confident in his ability to defeat Oleksandr Usyk in their upcoming unified world heavyweight title bout, scheduled for May 18 in Riyadh.
The long-awaited fight, originally planned for February 17, was postponed two weeks prior due to Fury suffering a cut during sparring. Now, the two undefeated boxers will collide to unify Fury’s WBC heavyweight championship with the WBA, IBF, WBO and IBO belts held by Usyk, one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world.
Fury, who admitted to being a bit depressed when the fight was postponed, insists he is in fantastic shape and ready to prove his superiority. “This is not personal, it’s strictly business for both fighters. I don’t hate him, I respect him as a man, as a fighter,” the 35-year-old told a news conference on Wednesday.
The Briton, who stands six feet nine inches tall, questioned whether Usyk, who is six feet three inches, can contend with a much bigger fighter after making the step up to the heavyweight class. “My personal opinion is we have weight divisions for a reason. When the cruiserweights step up to the big boys, they’re found wanting. You can beat the average big ones but not the elite big ones,” Fury added.
The 37-year-old Usyk, a former undisputed cruiserweight champion, has been far more reserved in his approach, while Fury has taken every opportunity to dismiss his opponent. “This is showbiz, entertainment – if they don’t talk about what’s going on then people lose interest. If you don’t talk smack in this game, you’re never going to make it,” Fury said.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
