Tyson Fury ‘having enjoyable’ as ‘battle of the century’ vs. Usyk nears

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — Tyson Fury danced and sang alongside to a few of his favourite hits throughout a light-weight exercise Wednesday night, three days out from his undisputed heavyweight championship conflict with Oleksandr Usyk.

England’s Fury, 35, wrapped his arms to the tune of AC/DC’s anthem “You Shook Me All Night time Lengthy.” He glided across the ring with coach SugarHill Steward and pumped his proper fist to the beat of The Killer’s “Mr. Brightside.”

“I am having enjoyable. I at all times do, do not I?” Fury (34-0-1, 24 KOs) informed ESPN following his 15-minute exercise on the open-air leisure hub Boulevard Metropolis. “All these battle weeks I take pleasure in.”

However Saturday’s battle is a little more particular. The winner can be topped boxing’s first undisputed heavyweight champion since November 1999, when Lennox Lewis defeated Evander Holyfield in a rematch.

Lewis, who can be ringside Saturday, and Holyfield, are two all-time greats, and so are Fury and Usyk. It is uncommon for any heavyweight to be acknowledged as one of many pound-for-pound finest on the earth. Usyk is No. 3 on ESPN’s record, and Fury is No. 10.

“It is the battle of the century,” stated Fury, who suffered a lower in sparring that postponed this bout from its unique Feb. 17 date. “[An undisputed heavyweight championship fight] has by no means occurred this century earlier than, and we’re trying ahead to placing on a unbelievable present.”

Fury’s resume encompasses a basic trilogy with Deontay Wilder that features two wins and one draw, with the ultimate bout named ESPN’s Combat of the Yr and KO of the Yr in 2021. Fury has been boxing’s lineal heavyweight champion since he upset Ukraine’s Wladimir Klitschko in 2015.

Now, Fury will meet one other Ukrainian in Usyk, who like Holyfield, is a former undisputed cruiserweight champion who went on to win the unified heavyweight championship. Usyk, 37, did so by defeating Anthony Joshua in a pair of bouts, spoiling plans for a Fury-Joshua bout that will have represented the most important battle in U.Okay. historical past.

Fury nonetheless hopes to satisfy Joshua subsequent 12 months however will first look towards a contracted rematch with Usyk (21-0, 14 KOs) later this 12 months. Turki Alalshikh, the chairman of Saudi Arabia’s Normal Leisure Authority, informed ESPN final month the return bout is slated for Oct. 12 or 13. After that, if Fury wins no less than one of many two bouts, there are plans for a matchup with Joshua subsequent 12 months.

Joshua, the previous unified champion, scored a second-round KO of former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou in March. Fury was floored by Ngannou in October in a surprising efficiency, struggling to win a cut up resolution in opposition to a person making his boxing debut.

Fury appeared properly out of practice for that non-title bout, however on Wednesday, he gave the impression to be far fitter, pumping his jab whereas he bounced on his toes.

“I am at all times centered, up for a battle,” Fury stated, “and it is the explanation I have been undefeated in 16 years.”

However he has by no means confronted a fighter fairly like Usyk, one with an excellent southpaw jab, glorious footwork and the ring acumen to match Fury. Usyk may concede as a lot as 40 kilos on battle night time. Nevertheless, he has confirmed in 4 heavyweight bouts that he can overcome his lack of measurement with superior boxing capacity.

Fury is the slight favourite at -120, in line with ESPN BET, whereas Usyk is at even odds. If Fury can finish Usyk’s undefeated run and seize his three titles, too, he ought to cement himself as the very best heavyweight of his period.

“I am probably not curious about all that,” Fury stated as he walked off from the ring. “[It will] set up me as a mega, uber-rich heavyweight who can feed his household and provides them no matter they need for breakfast, dinner and tea.”