Tyson Fury is wrong. He may say this is just another battle, and that he may need to treat it as such to ensure he wins, but this is not just another battle. It's a battle.
It's what boxing, the sport, has been waiting for. The wait is finally over.
This is a contest to deliver of A heavyweight world champion is something boxing has been missing for over 20 years.
Use Chrome Browser for a more accessible video player
Tyson Fury launched into a foul-mouthed rant against Oleksandr Usyk and his team after the weigh-in.
A quarter-century after Lennox Lewis became the division's undisputed champion, a heavyweight titlist was born. In fact, for many years two great heavyweights ruled the world, but they couldn't fight each other for the good reason that Wladimir and Vitali Klitschko were brothers.
In 2015, Tyson Fury began his first championship reign by defeating Wladimir Klitschko in Dusseldorf to win the unified WBO, WBA and IBF titles. Fury, plagued by mental health issues, did not return to boxing for more than two years.
While Deontay Wilder held on to the WBC belt, the others scattered. Anthony Joshua took over the title previously held by Fury.
However, Wilder and Joshua never agreed to a non-disputed fight. Fury then broke into the upper echelons of his division. He lost a lot of weight for the Wilder fight. Fury controversially challenged for the WBC title in 2018, ending in a dramatic draw. He then crushed Wilder in their 2020 rematch.
Use Chrome Browser for a more accessible video player
Have the mind games begun?Tyson Fury refuses to fight Oleksandr Usyk at press conference ahead of Saturday's undisputed heavyweight title fight
Efforts to create an undisputed title fight between Fury and Joshua then went to waste when American Wilder enforced his contractual rights and called a third fight.
That final encounter was epic, one of the most exciting heavyweight battles of all time, with Fury rising from the canvas twice himself and dropping Wilder three times, effectively knocking out the American in the 11th round.
Meanwhile, Usyk was completing a complex plan to reach the top of the heavyweight division. The Ukrainian has successfully become the undisputed champion of the cruiserweight division, defeating Marko Huck, Mairis Bredis and Murat Gassiev in his home country.
He then outboxed Joshua at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London to become the unified champion.
When Russia invaded Ukraine in early 2022, Usyk turned down a lucrative rematch with Joshua. He returned to his home country to join the Territorial Defense Forces and take up arms. When he was allowed to return to boxing, he rose to the occasion with style and determination, handling Joshua's ferocious efforts to take a clear victory.
Use Chrome Browser for a more accessible video player
Tyson Fury reveals why he refused to fight Oleksandr Usyk in final press conference before Saturday's fight
From the moment Usyk joined Fury as heavyweight champion, it was a clear match for the pair. Two of the best and biggest men this sport has to offer, battling it out for ultimate supremacy.
But getting here wasn't easy and we had to wait even longer than planned.
Last year, Fury and Usyk tentatively took on a fight after initial talks broke down acrimoniously. Usyk took offense to Daniel Dubois, but after recovering from a low blow, he stopped the Brit (Dubois' team still insists it should have been legal).
Fury almost delivered the biggest shock of his career against former UFC champion Francis Ngannou, who beat him in impressive fashion in three rounds.
Fury steered himself toward victory and faced a surprisingly tough bout with Ngannou, even though he was poised to announce an undisputed fight that would unite all four major titles in December. I needed more time to recover.
Use Chrome Browser for a more accessible video player
Actor and director Paddy Considine is confident in his predictions for the fight between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk.
The fight against Usyk was scheduled for February, but Fury was cut while sparring just before the original fight date, leading to a further postponement. The match was postponed again and moved to May 18th.
After 25 years of long twists and turns, we have finally arrived at our destination.
This is an important battle.
“This is a huge opportunity,” Fury reflected. “This is the glory of all boxing, the World Heavyweight Championship.
“It's a very important battle.”
But to perform effectively, Fury will have to approach it like any other fight.
“We've been through a lot with boxing matches and things like that. Are we worried about the next fight? I don't think so,” he said.
“If it's destined for us, destined to be, then it will be. And if it's not, it won't be. But do I cry over it? ? No, why cry? I thank God for the good times.
“Evenings are important, but when I get home, I forget.”
Use Chrome Browser for a more accessible video player
Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk have given one last message to each other ahead of their undisputed heavyweight title fight on Saturday.
Fury had some mental struggles along the way. Those are battles he still has to fight.
“It's like a roller coaster, you just feel up and down all the time, all the time,” he said. “My short-term goals are just to keep training and keep eating healthy.
“Now I know how to fight better than before.
“Even if I don’t feel like it, I know tomorrow will be a new day. [terrible] I plan on starting again tonight and tomorrow. It's a fresh, brand new day with a fresh start. ”
Fury is a unique character. At 6 feet 9 inches tall and over 260 pounds, he is literally larger than life. Often with a peppy demeanor and fierce menace as the first bell of a fight approaches, he is both surreal and very human.
He connects with supporters in that he has spoken candidly about his mental health, particularly when he gained weight rapidly after stepping away from the sport and the title.
That made his return all the more remarkable. Many times he has had to recover from violent knockdowns delivered by Wilder and, most recently, Ngannou, off the ropes and on the canvas.
Use Chrome Browser for a more accessible video player
Legendary promoter Bob Arum predicts Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk and looks back at some of the most memorable moments of his career.
He was down, but no one could keep him there. He found a way to stand up. He always is.
And he was always ready to fight. His inner turmoil always melts away when it comes time for boxing.
“Because, as I've said many times, on fight day I'm bulletproof, because 'The Gypsy King' is not Tyson Fury, it's a completely different mentality, so it won't affect me on fight day. ” he said.
Tyson Fury's will to win the exhibit is tremendous. But that's definitely a quality that Usyk also has.
Not only does Usyk represent an athlete and a champion, he also has tremendous drive.
“I have been preparing for this fight for 22 years. Throughout my boxing career I have come towards a dream. It is also a big event for Ukraine,” Usyk said. sky sports.
“It's a huge opportunity for my family.”
As the fight began, Fury, the larger man, towered over Usyk. He yelled at him and tried to run him head on. His appearance was terrifying, but it was only a sign of what was to come. Fury's size, experience and ability all come into play in boxing.
Use Chrome Browser for a more accessible video player
Tyson Fury's trainer Sugarhill Steward became emotional after seeing old footage of Fury with Uncle Emmanuel Steward at Cronk Gym.
But Usyk won't back down. He refuses to be intimidated.
“That's not possible, because I'm focused on my fight. There's too much at stake. I'll give my all. I was at camp, I'm going to spend the New Year with my kids. I missed it, I missed the birth of my daughter. Seven months, I was seven months old,” he said.
“I have four belts for each of my four children, two for my sons and two for my daughters, one each.”
He vows to make sure that what is meant to happen happens. “I don't believe in fate,” he says. “Destiny is man-made.”
“No, it’s you. It’s not fate.
“I believe it is possible.”
His late father remains an inspiration to him. “My father said to me, “Son, you can do it.'' I believe in him, I believe in myself, I believe that it is possible if you do it. ”
Use Chrome Browser for a more accessible video player
Oleksandr Usyk watches as Tyson Fury pretends to play the guitar during media training.
Beating Fury is one of the toughest jobs in boxing, but no one has yet accomplished it.
“It's going to be a great fight because he's a great guy. He's a big man, he's smart, he's sneaky,” Usyk said. “Oh, we have to fight.”
However, he did not reveal how he would accomplish the feat. He only had two words about what he was going to do. Something “beautiful. Amazing.”
Both men have done special things to get to this point. They both fully believe that they are the ones who will take the final step, and that in the end it will be undisputed.
But only one of them is correct.
It is one of the biggest sporting events in a generation. Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk Saturday, May 18th as they clash for the undisputed World Heavyweight Championship, broadcast live sky sports ticket office. Book your match now.
