By: Sean Crose
One of the biggest issues facing anyone who writes about the fight game is the desire to speculate. We all have would-be fights that stoke our curiosity. There has to be a good reason, though, to actually write about potential future attractions. And having a world titlist speak in a less than favorable light about another world titlist is one of those reasons. Although he didn’t outright slam WBC and lineal heavyweight champion Tyson Fury, IBF, WBO and WBA heavyweight titlist Oleksandr Usyk didn’t come across recently as being overly impressed with the man called “They Gypsy King,” either.
One thing is certain – while speaking to The Sun recently, Usyk, who just weeks ago defeated Anthony Joshua in uber-impressive fashion to win his title belts – presented himself as the picture of confidence. “Before my Joshua fight everyone was saying that I haven’t got a single chance to win and beat Joshua,” said the Ukrainian multi-division titlist. “I used to hear those types of things throughout my life, but I am capable of beating Fury because I’m not boasting that I can just punish and beat every boxer in the world, but I just go to the gym and do my job.”
So, could Usyk see a fight between himself and Fury actually going down? “Yes, of course,” he said. “I do regard this fight a huge one. I see him as a very good fighter, good athlete, he talks a lot, he has a tongue.” Usyk then took a swipe at the towering Englishman. “He claims he’s the king of the kings,” Usyk said of Fury, “but it’s only he who thinks that. That’s what I can say about him.” Not the worst words Usyk could utter about the man, but certainly words that are worth noting. Usyk, it seems, isn’t going to view Fury in awe – even after Fury’s thunderous performance against Deontay Wilder earlier this month.
Of course Usyk first has to get past Anthony Joshua before any fight with Fury is even discussed with serious interest. He may have beaten Joshua skillfully in September, but Joshua has been defeated soundly before, only to perform successfully in a rematch. Also worth noting is the fact that all eyes were on a Joshua fight with Fury or Wilder before the surprise loss to Usyk came about. In a sport where it seems anything can happen, looking past any single opponent can be a dangerous thing for a fighter to do.
