By: Sean Crose
I’ll be frank – this is one of the hardest calls I’ve had to make in my ten plus years of writing about boxing. The truth is that the first Tyson Fury-Oleksandr Usyk battle was so close – so completely back and fourth – that it’s hard to decide which man is more likely to win tomorrow’s rematch in Saudi Arabia. While it’s true Usyk won the first battle between these two future Hall of Famers last May, and won it fairly in my opinion, there were moments in the fight where Fury was simply dominating his man. The same, of course, can be said of Usyk who walked out of the ring in Saudi Arabia that evening the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world.
So, whose going to win on Saturday when the two men square off for the second time? Like the first Usyk-Fury fight, the location will once again be Saudi Arabia. Unlike the first battle, however, the undisputed championship of the world won’t be at stake this time around, for the undefeated Usyk is no longer the IBF champion. Still, he has the WBA, WBO, and WBC belts in his possession. Even without the IBF belt being at stake, the victor of Usyk-Fury 2 will unquestionably be king of the heavyweight division.
Again, though, whose going to win this weekend? My guess is Fury, simply because that’s what my gut is telling me. Fury was dropped in the first fight, and even though he beat the count, he had come very, VERY close to losing the bout via stoppage. I don’t expect Fury to let himself get tagged that much again this time around. What I expect is for the towering Englishman to be more aggressive early on this time. Fury did very well the first part of his initial battle with Usyk. This time he’ll try to do even better. The more he is able to work on Usyk early, the harder it will be for Usyk to come around late, as he did in the first fight.
Not that I expect Usyk to be some kind of pushover. Along with Deontay Wilder, Usyk is unquestionably Fury’s best opponent. And I expect him to land on Fury, as well – powerfully and frequently. So long as Fury is able to lower the man’s output, however, it may turn into a long night for the defending multi-belt champion. Let’s not forget that Fury seemed to have rattled Usyk once or twice in the first fight. If Fury maintains his energy, it may be Usyk who goes down in their second battle.
My official prediction: Tyson Fury by TKO in the 11th.