Fury vs Usyk: Keys To Victory For Fury

By Jacob Rodriguez

Photo Credit: Top Rank Promotions - (@trboxing)/X

On May 18^th, in a historic event live from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Tyson Fury (34-0-1, 24KOs) will step into the ring, aiming to etch his name in boxing history as the world's first undisputed champion heavyweight since Lennox Lewis last held that title in 2003.

In this long-awaited clash, Fury will face off against Oleksandr Usyk (21-0, 14 KOs) 37, a formidable opponent hailing from Ukraine. Usyk, the former undisputed cruiserweight champion of the world, brings into this match the WBA, WBO, and IBF world heavyweight titles, making him a force to be reckoned with in the ring.

This fight will be Tyson Fury’s most challenging fight since he became the WBC heavyweight champion of the world four years ago. The “Gypsy King” must be the best version of himself if he wants to take Usyk’s titles.

Here is a closer look at Tyson Fury and an analysis of what he must do to take down Usyk and write his name in boxing’s history books.

Strengths:

Photo Credit: Top Rank Boxing (trboxing)/X

Standing at 6'9" tall, weighing at times up to 278lbs, Fury is one of the biggest heavyweights in the division. He boxes wells and has decent footwork for a boxer his size. Fury is defensively sound and slips nicely, which prevents him from getting hit cleanly in exchanges. He has a good jab that keeps opponents at the end of his 85in reach. The Brit has a solid one-two combo that he lands consistently to impede his opponents' forward momentum. Additionally, Fury knows how to use his physical stature and impose his body on opponents to drain them of their strength and stamina.

Weaknesses:

Inconsistency and foolery are Fury's ailments in the ring. When it comes to Fury, we don't know what to expect on fight night. There have been times when he has come to a fight trim and conditioned, and there have been times when he is not in ideal shape and performs below the grade of the fighter he truly is.

Sometimes, he fools around, drops his hands, and taunts his opponents. Those antics can cost him, and Usyk is the kind of fighter who will look for those moments of indiscipline and capitalize on them. Fury has a loose guard and sometimes leans forward in his stance, exposing himself to an uppercut.

Video Credit: Tyson Fury Instagram: (@tysonfury)

Keys to Victory:

Against Usyk, Fury has to be able to cut the ring off. I expect Usyk to utilize his excellent footwork and be very mobile against his British rival. Fury must refrain from chasing Usyk around in the ring. Fury is too big, and his 260-pound body will feel it if he does. He will get tired and slow down, and Usyk will make him pay once Fury gets tired. Fury must fight like the taller fighter, use his jab, and not allow Usyk to get inside him. When Usyk tries to make a move, Fury must drop the straight right hand to stop his momentum. Fury must find a way to back Usyk into a corner and lay his weight on the Ukrainian. That will force Usyk to use his strength to get Fury off him. Constantly pushing that weight off will eventually tire Usyk and make him more stationery for Fury to land his punches. If Fury can do that, he will beat Usyk and make history this Saturday.