Tyson Fury suffered the first loss of his career against Oleksandr Usyk, and here is why he will lose the rematch.

The Gypsy King lost via a split decision as Usyk became the Undisputed Heavyweight Champion. Before the fight, Fury dismissed Usyk. He labelled him a middleweight, a blown-up cruiserweight and said he would retire if he did not beat him. They will run things back on December 21, but Fury’s odds of a win are slim. Here is why.

Fury’s Preparation

He prepared for the fight since the win over Francis Ngannou in October. The fight was rescheduled twice after that win, allowing Fury plenty of time to prepare himself. His physique was praised, with the perception that this was his best appearance. Fury is known for rising to the occasion in the biggest fights, but it was Usyk who bullied the Gypsy King physically. Despite being 40 pounds lighter and having a seven-inch reach disadvantage, Usyk pressed the action, pushing Fury back on the ropes in the opening rounds. The size and weight difference was negated.

Fury was almost knocked out in round nine, only for the referee to give a standing eight count. Uysk’s team will pressure the next referee to make the appropriate call. Fury was not throwing any shots back, getting hit repeatedly. Just as Usyk went in for the finish, the referee gave the count. The count was also criticized for being too slow, while Fury did not respond like a man ready to continue. Had the decision gone Fury’s way, there would have been mass controversy. Usyk will fancy his chances of stopping Fury.

Fury may change his tactics and fight on the front foot. This plays into Usyk’s hands, as he likes to counter-punch. He sat in the pocket in both fights against Anthony Joshua. Joshua is a stronger puncher than Fury but could not get Usyk out of there. Usyk almost stopped Joshua in the first fight, only for the bell to ring.

Fury’s Mindset

The Gypsy King is also refusing to accept his loss. After the fight, Fury felt he had won the bout. He even alleged that Usyk got the decision simply because of Ukraine’s war with Russia. In his first interview about the loss, Fury doubled down on his belief he came out victorious. But the CompuBox numbers showed Usyk landed 170 punches, 13 more than Fury. Usyk also had more power punches: 122 compared to 95.

“I’ve watched the fight back lots and still got the same answer – I thought I won. Usyk knows he didn’t beat me… I thought I boxed the head right off him for most of the rounds. He busted my nose in round eight, got the 10-8 in round nine and I gave him round ten. But other than that I didn’t give him any other rounds…

“It was actually a lot easier than I thought it’d be. People said he’s hard to hit, I was lighting him up with four-punch combinations and laughing at him. My problem was I probably had too much fun. It was too easy. It was like I was in there with a local amateur boxer. I was enjoying it too much, messing around and paid the ultimate price in round nine,” Fury said

Fury’s Behavior

Fury’s behavior since then has been worrying. He was spotted drunk at a bar in his hometown of Morecambe. Fury was seen on his knees, raising concerns he may have had a mental relapse. He was previously away from the sport with mental health and alcohol issues. While Fury downplays the significance of the incident, if he cannot keep himself disciplined out of the ring, he will face a tougher task in beating Usyk.

“I…fell over on my face. Didn’t do any damage though, still good-looking. I’ve had lots of messages and people phoning asking if I’m alright. You’re a grown man and have a drunken night out and all of a sudden [people think] you’re gonna jump in front of a train. Obviously from my past history people are concerned, but I’ve just been chilling out and spending time with my family,” Fury revealed

All that points towards another win for the Ukrainian.

Comments

Oh my days 🤦‍♂️ good job Tyson isn’t a judge isn’t it.

Someone watch that fight and explain how fury won rounds 1-3? You can’t even make an argument for them rounds + all the later rounds.

Round 8 and 9 was a demolition job with a 10-8 so Usyk only had to win another round???

— Callum (@CalzorzSSBU) June 21, 2024