Boxing is a sport that offers redemption, but at a substantial risk. Unlike other sports that allow its participants to try again and again to correct their mistakes, boxing is a sport where one wrong mistake can end a fighter’s career in the blink of an eye. Physical injury and psychological fear are some of the risks that often await the losers of these fights. The impact on their careers and lives can be significant. If rematches do take place, what can the loser do differently so that they will not replicate the outcome? The thought of another loss is often difficult to contemplate.
Former heavyweight kingpin Tyson Fury now finds himself in such a position. Prior to May 18th, 2024, Fury was considered the king of his division. His epic trilogy with Deontay Wilder solidified England’s “Gypsy King” as a bonafide box office attraction. From the moment Fury picked himself up off the canvas, the result of a vicious left-right combination from Wilder, in front of 17,698 fans at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, he became something more than a fighter. Most who witnessed the fight were shocked to see Fury beat the count. The result of the fight was a 12-round split decision draw. The crowd jeered the decision, with most believing Fury did enough to secure the victory. Regardless of the decision, the crowd knew they knew they had just witnessed something special. The result of the fight paled in comparison to the determination Fury showed to not simply lay down.
A second and third fight between Fury and Wilder resulted in wildly entertaining victories for Fury. With his unorthodox style, and even more unorthodox personality, Fury has been able to transcend the sport. His knack for dressing up in costumes during press conferences, his Netflix reality show, a brief stint as a professional wrestler, and his honesty regarding his on-going mental health issues have turned him into an enduring public figure to many.
However, prior to Fury’s first fight with Oleksandr Usyk, there were signs that the Gypsy King might have lost a step or two. On October 28th, 2023, Fury fought former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou in Saudi Arabia. And although Ngannou was known to have some of the most significant knockout power in combat sports, the general consensus was that the UFC star was out of his league, challenging the undefeated heavyweight boxing champion. Ngannou and Fury both wanted a paycheck, and they both got it. However, what Fury thought would be an easy night’s work turned out to be anything but.
Fury entered the ring as a 14-1 favorite, with most believing that Ngannou’s knockout power would not translate well in the boxing ring. In spite of this theory, and to everyone’s shock, Ngannou was able to knock down Fury in the third round. Fury was able to get up and continue, but he was clearly embarrassed. Fury went on to win a split decision, but the damage had been done. Suddenly, doubt surrounded the champ.
Prior to the bout with Ngannou, it had already been reported that September, that Fury had signed a contract to face the unified WBA, WBO, and IBF heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk in Saudi Arabia. The fight was originally scheduled to happen on December 23rd, 2023, but was delayed until February, 2024 after Fury’s tougher-than-expected encounter with Ngannou. On February 2nd, it was announced that the fight had been postponed again, due to a cut Fury acquired over his right eye while sparring. Finally, the fight happened on May 18th, 2024. The stakes were high, as the winner of the fight would be the first undisputed heavyweight champion to have all four belts, and the first undisputed heavyweight champion in almost 25 years.
Usyk, for his part, was a stark contrast to Fury. Many considered the Ukrainian nothing more than a blown-up cruiserweight, albeit he was known to be an excellent technical boxer. Personality-wise, Usyk was known to be a stoic and focused champion. Dressing up as Batman during a press conference for a fight was not an antic that Usyk would be likely to engage in. Usyk has completely dominated the cruiserweight division, with significant wins over Tony Bellew, Murat Gassiev, and Mairis Briedis.
After acquiring all the belts in the cruiserweight division, Usyk set his sights on the land of the giants, the heavyweight division. From there, Usyk took the big step into boxing’s glamour division. And although Usyk was exactly the same weight and height as a prime Muhammad Ali, much had changed in the heavyweight division since Ali ruled the division. Now, heavyweights are taller and heavier. Usyk was seen by many as being too small to make a dent in the division.
Nonetheless, Usyk was able to silence the critics after a unanimous decision victory over Derek Chisora, and back-to-back decision victories over highly touted British star Anthony Joshua. A 9th round knockout of Daniel Dubois on August 26th, 2023, proved that Usyk had the power necessary to compete at the highest level of the division.
Expectations from the boxing community and the media were high. Both these men were dominant and undefeated champions that had been tested. These were not Youtubers looking to make a quick buck. This was the true pinnacle of the division, with the victor acquiring more belts than they could carry to the ring.
The tightly contested fight saw Usyk apply a steady stream of pressure to the bigger champion. However, Fury was able to effectively use his long jab to keep Usyk from doing any significant damage. In round four, Fury began to let his hands go more and was quickly pulling away in the fight. In round six, Fury began to land several uppercuts on the former cruiserweight champion that clearly appeared to hurt him. However, as the fight progressed, Usyk was able to weather the storm and began to find his second wind. This newfound tenacity came to a head in the ninth round. Usyk was able to land a series of damaging punches on the champion that clearly had him hurt. Usyk then knocked Fury into the ropes, near the end of the round. If not for the ropes, Fury would have landed square on his back. Referee Mark Nelson, knowing that the ring ropes were the only thing keeping the champ upright, immediately initiated a count. Fury was able to recover, but the damage had been done. Round nine clearly belonged to the Ukrainian.
Fury was able to find his second wind as well, after the disastrous finish to the ninth round. He attempted a comeback but was unable to mount a significant enough offense to mirror what Usyk had done to him in the ninth round of the fight. Two of the three judges scored the fight for Oleksandr Usyk, and Fury’s unblemished record was a thing of the past. CompuBox numbers indicated that Usyk had landed 41.8 percent of his punches to 31.7 percent for Fury.
In the subsequent days and weeks after the fight, Fury stated that he thought he had won the fight. This sentiment was not one that the majority of the public and the media agreed with. In their eyes, Usyk’s punch output, pressing nature, and dominant ninth round had secured him the victory. The seemingly “undersized” Ukrainian was now the undisputed champion of the world.
Naturally, there was already a rematch clause included in the contract. And although Usyk vacated the IBF heavyweight title in June, the abandonment of that particular belt did little to quell the consensus that Usyk was the number one fighter in the division.
On December 21st, Fury and Usyk will meet in the ring once more. Riyadh, Saudi Arabia is once again hosting the event. The middle eastern city has quickly become a mecca for fight fans that rivals the neon lights of Las Vegas.
Fury now looks to avenge his only professional defeat, while Usyk will look to prove that his first win over the unorthodox Fury was no fluke. Although the fight will not be for the undisputed titles, thanks to the IBF belt being vacated by Usyk. That matters little to the public. Modern boxing puts a heavier emphasis on box office stars and attractions than it does on the titles themselves. Who cares who the WBA or IBF champions are? The names are what sell the fights. And amongst the current crop of heavyweights, Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk are two of the biggest names in the heavyweight division and the sport.
So, what is the likely outcome of this rematch? Currently, Oleksandr Usyk is a -175 favorite over Tyson Fury. Many believe that Fury’s best days are behind him, and that Usyk simply has his number. This may be true, but keep in mind that Fury has overcome greater odds in his life. Fury’s battles outside the ring with depression, as well as alcohol and drug abuse, were thought to be impenetrable obstacles for the former champ. Against all odds, he was able to overcome these hardships. Fury will have to dig deep down to find whatever was able to pick him up off the canvas in the first Wilder fight. How he finds that is up to him, but his track record of displaying otherworldly determination suggests that a victory in the rematch is a definite possibility.
Oleksandr Usyk now sits at the top of the boxing world. He has the momentum, the respect of the public, and the skills necessary to be considered the best in the division. If he is able to obtain another victory over Fury, what’s really left to prove? He’s already beaten Joshua twice, as well as the current IBF champion Daniel Dubois. With a second win over Fury, and more money than he could possibly spend in three lifetimes, the risk might no longer be worth the reward. Regardless of what happens in the rematch, Usyk has already secured his place in history. Sure, Usyk could challenge Deontay Wilder or Zhilei Zhang, and either fight would be sure to generate a lot of interest and money. But at age 37, is Usyk willing to try his luck? Many would argue that Wilder is a shot fight, but they forget that Wilder has some of the most powerful punches in the history of the heavyweight division, and the millions of dollars Usyk would earn from a fight between the two might not be enticing enough to lure him back into the spotlight.
As both combatants enter the twilight of their careers, they are acutely aware of what is at stake. The pressure of the situation might be too much for even some of the most poised fighters in the sport to bear. And yet, both men have a long and storied history of accomplishing monumental things under the most strenuous of circumstances.
Unfortunately, the sport finds itself in yet another situation where it will need to rebound, after the embarrassing fiasco that was the Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson fight. The best of boxing will have to prove to the masses, once again, that it is not a faded trainwreck of a sport. Knowing the parties involved, I’d say that’s not an insurmountable task.
