The non-trivial southpaw Oleksandr Usyk has the skills to create huge problems for the big guy Tyson Fury if these heavyweights do get to the ring and figure out who is #1 in the division. So says Hall of Famer Barry McGuigan.
In the column for
The Mirror the Briton writes that he is not sure that Fury is still “the fighter he was”, based on what he saw in the third fight against Derek Chisora.
“Yes, Chisora is tenacious, and yes, Fury boxed all his ears, but he could not go down. I’m not sure this weight is right for Fury. He needs to get 5kg lighter and be more agile against Usyk because in preparation for fights with Anthony Joshua, he sparred with four or five big guys and beat them, Barry recalled. “And in both fights against Joshua, we learned that size doesn’t matter to Usyk. I think he has a very good chance. Usyk is difficult to work with, he is left-handed and elusive. If Fury can’t hit him with a jab, it’s going to be a nightmare for him.”
McGuigan writes that in his personal experience, “it’s almost impossible to land a clean jab on an elite southpaw.”
Tszyu told who Usyk-Fury bets on in battle
“Usyk is also a brilliant counterpuncher and although he doesn’t have the punch to turn the lights off, he is very stamina and physically strong. Tactically, he is outstanding, thanks to an amateur career of 350 fights, which brought him gold in the heavyweight division at the Olympics and World Championships, ”recalled the legendary British veteran.
The ex-boxer believes that Alexander “has enough talent to make up for the lack of power in the heavyweight division.”
“Fury has had an amazing career. But remove Wilder and Klitschko from the list, and there will be no big names in his resume, – Barry gave rise to Internet crap. – He will have chances to win, but if you look at it, this is a more difficult fight for him than against Wilder or Klitschko. Fury relies on his size and intimidation. But Usyk is not easy to scare. The way he looked at Fury ringside after the Tyson-Chisora fight tells us that.”
Who is the favorite in the Usyk-Fury fight? Froch thinks everything is clear here.
McGuigan recalled that Usyk was too good even for Joshua from their second fight, and Anthony “is also a good attacking fighter, better than Fury on the front leg.”
Fury is a boxer. He rarely moves forward unless he has to. The key is speed. Not only is Usyk a southpaw who moves and strikes brilliantly, he also has epic speed. I think this is a much tougher fight for Fury than he thinks. And, like Joshua, he could face a rude awakening,” the veteran columnist summed up.
Previously, McGuigan decided on a favorite.
And Eddie Hearn’s father got himself confused and confused us all: “Obviously, Fury is No. 1 in the world. And Usyk is No. 1 in the world.”