Get well soon, Woody!
Laura Woods has withdrawn from hosting the Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk fight after sustaining facial injuries in a freak accident.
Woods, a hugely popular former talkSPORT host, was scheduled to fly to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to host the highly anticipated heavyweight unification bout on TNT Sports.
Lennox weighs in
Lennox Lewis, the last undisputed heavyweight champion, is closing in on Fury but admits he doesn't know what will happen.
“I believe Tyson Fury has great qualities. He's tall, he can box in either stance and he can move forward,” he told talkSPORT.
“For me at the moment, I always say the bigger guys have the advantage because it’s hard to beat the bigger guys.
“I think Tyson Fury has points, but Usyk doesn’t count.”
Bellew supports his nemesis
Meanwhile, Tony Bellew believes the older version of Fury would fare much better against Usyk than the current version.
Bellew told talkSPORT: “I think Tyson Fury had the best chance of beating him when he was with his uncle, Peter Fury, because at that time he was an unconventional, big, clumsy fighter, with his size and attributes. Because I used it to my advantage.”
“Right now, he's a fighter who loves putting pressure on fighters and going for knockouts under the excellent Sugarhill Steward in Cronk competitions.
“He's a different fighter now, a fighter who wants to get the knockout, and that's good for Oleksandr Usyk.”
“I know because I was there with him, this kid is exceptionally talented at what he does.
“Don't get me wrong, there's another side to this coin. Tyson Fury could come out on top, he might be too heavy, but in my opinion and my experience , Oleksandr Usyk will win big in points.”
“You have to put this in context. If Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury were the same size, this fight wouldn't even be up for debate.”
“Fury is giving him some shine.”
Frank Warren insists Fury is in top form despite concerns that he has lost too much weight for the fight.
A streamlined version of the Fury will be unveiled at public practice this week, and is expected to be in its lightest form for nine years.
“He'll be coming back from successive camps without having played a game in between because of the cuts,” Warren told talkSPORT.
“He didn't have to lose weight for this second camp, he's got money to spare. I mean, he's popping out of his skin and he's got a glow. See him look so healthy. I have never had one.”
Furthermore, he added: “I don't really believe in people carrying heavy weights, especially heavyweights. Why would they do that?
“Speed is important to me. It's not about bulk, it's about speed.
“One thing about Tyson is that he's very athletic for a guy who doesn't look like he's cut from marble. He's very fast in the ring, has great footwork and quick hands. .
“I think he's going to spend a lot of money on this. He's been monitoring his weight really accurately and I think he's peaking at just the right time. He's not overdoing it.
“I really think we’re going to see something special with these two on Saturday night.”
fight week
A public training session took place on Wednesday, with both Fury and Usyk surprising with their new stances.
Usyk, a southpaw, adopted an orthodox stance, while Fury was the opposite.
Ron can't go
Ronaldo was previously spotted next to MMA legend Conor McGregor during Joshua's win over Otto Wallin in December.
Even in Fury's controversial victory over Francis Ngannou, the two faced off and both laughed before pretending to get along.
But this time, Ronaldo will have the pleasure of standing next to Joshua in an undisputed heavyweight battle. Saudi Arabia's boxing chief, His Excellency Turki Alalcik, will be standing to his left.
Joshua will arrive with expertise on Usyk, having previously fought the Ukrainian twice and lost both times.
