SUMMARY
- Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk goes down on May 18.
- Legendary boxer Mike Tyson has a bold prediction for the fight.
In what will be a fight for the ages, Tyson Fury will lock horns with Oleksandr Usyk. After much delay and distraction, the fight is all set to take place this weekend. Naturally, with such a historic bout looming upon us, many, like Mike Tyson have made their predictions known.
For those unaware, Tyson Fury will take on Oleksandr Usyk in a matchup that will yield the first undisputed heavyweight boxing champion since Lennox Lewis in 1999. With the fight falling through on numerous occasions, it will finally go ahead on May 18, 2024, at the Kingdom Arena.
THE ONE THE WORLD WAITED FOR.
WELCOME TO FURY-USYK FIGHT WEEK 👑4️⃣ pic.twitter.com/2J5GfaNYfO
— Top Rank Boxing (@trboxing) May 13, 2024
Owing to Tyson Fury’s fight with Francis Ngannou and subsequent injury-related delays, the fight has stalled for quite some time. That said, a $10 million penalty on either fighter for pulling on has ensured that everything proceeds according to plan. With it all finally coming together, let’s take a look at the predictions for the fight.
Mike Tyson gives his predictions for Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk
For the most part, boxing legend Mike Tyson is all too aware of what is at stake on Saturday night. Having reigned as the undisputed world heavyweight champion from 1987 to 1990, it has sealed his legacy as one of the greatest heavyweight boxers ever. Thus, with Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk ( for the second time), aiming for similar status, one can rest assured that it will be one hell of a fight.
That said, ‘The Baddest Man on the Planet’ has given his verdict on how he expects the fight to unfold. Going with his namesake for the fight, he believes that Fury will emerge victorious in the contest. Not only that but Mike has also hailed ‘The Gypsy King’ as the ‘the best fighter in the world’ right now.
“I look forward to that fight. That is going to be an interesting fight. I’m going towards Tyson Fury because I think he’s just going to overpower him. He’s going to catch up with him and overpower him. That’s what I think, I could be wrong.”
On Usyk being the smaller fighter in the matchup, Tyson added, “Little guys are difficult to fight because they’re harder to hit, cause they’re smaller. He (Usyk) runs a lot and moves a lot, Tyson’s probably gonna have a few rounds to deal with his movements, but he’s very difficult to fight.”
Whilst Mike suggests that Fury’s power will be what sees him through, he along with many others forgets that Anthony Joshua also had a similar advantage over Oleksandr Usyk. Despite this, the Ukrainian was able to emerge victorious on both occasions. As such, it will likely require a more strategic game plan from Tyson Fury rather than one simply reliant on his power advantage.
How have other top fighters predicted Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk?
As such, owing to it being a massive occasion, numerous fighters have also given their take on the fight. Naturally, many fighters have sided with Tyson Fury, owing to his accomplishments in the sport. Having held all the heavyweight titles at different points in his career, he is seen as the obvious favorite to unify them. On the other hand, Oleksandr Usyk is a former undisputed cruiserweight champion and has proved his mettle at the highest level.
Notably, Canelo Alvarez has picked Tyson Fury to win against Usyk. Commending the Ukrainian’s performance against Anthony Joshua, Alvarez believes that Fury’s power along with his ability to move will be a key factor. Surprisingly, Anthony Joshua, the man who has lost twice to Usyk has picked him to beat Fury. Having been on the receiving end of two masterful performances, he couldn’t help but pick his former foe to win.
“Phenomenal fighter does everything to a tee and I would say he (Usyk) is going to do a really good job.
“I have never fought Tyson Fury so I can’t really speak on how he will perform or what it is like to face him so only speaking on what I know I would have to say Oleksandr Usyk will be victorious.”
Fresh off his win against George Kambosos Jr, Vasiliy Lomachenko had no hesitations in picking his countryman to beat Tyson Fury. On the other hand, heavyweight legend Lennox Lewis, along with Eddie Hearn, Frank Warren, and Derek Chisora have also picked Fury to emerge victorious in this one.