By Barry Holbrook: Deontay Wilder’s trainer Malik Scott is giving Oleksandr Usyk a good shot at beating Tyson Fury if the two of them meet up in 2022 after the smoke clears from their next bouts.
Malik thinks it will be demanding for the smaller Usyk to handle the size of the 6’9″, 270+-lb Fury, and he’s not sure if he can do it.
From the way things are looking now, Fury (31-0-1, 22 KOs) will likely need to defend his WBC heavyweight title against interim champion Dillian ‘The Body Snatcher’ Whyte unless he can squirm out of that fight.
IBF/WBA/WBO champion Usyk (19-0, 13 KOs) has a title defense that he must get out of the way against Anthony Joshua in March or April of next year.
There’s no certainty Usyk will win that fight, mainly how Joshua is speaking of wanting to bring out the “dog” in his game.
Joshua will be more physical in the rematch with Usyk, and you can be the fight will look nothing like their first one on September 25th.
USYK HAS A GOOD SHOT AT BEATING FURY
“I would give Usyk a very good shot at beating Tyson Fury,” said trainer Malik Scott to Boxing King Media. “Can he? I don’t know? Will he? I don’t know. But with Usyk’s style, with Usyk’s heart, and Usyk’s cleverness. Would I bet on Usyk and Fury? No, I wouldn’t. I wouldn’t bet on either.
“That’s a very dangerous fight for both stylistically for both guys,” said Scott. “But if you’re a betting man, the way that Fury uses his size, comes forward and comes to lean and grab, you would have to go with Fury.
“Is Usyk big enough to have an answer for that? Is he strong enough to have an answer for that? We’ll see.
“A lot of people thought he wasn’t going to be big enough and strong enough for AJ, but he threw a monkey wrench in a lot of people’s plans,” said Scott.
When Fury is pried off of Usyk by the referee, you can bet that he’ll be immediately attacked with fast combinations before Tyson can grab him. The obsessive clinching that Fury used in his last two fights with Wilder might not work against Usyk, and he’ll have come up with a Plan-B.
OLEKSANDR CAN ADAPT
“I believe spiritually and physically he has the ability to adapt, but it’s about on the night,” said Malik about Usyk.
“This boxing thing is about on the night who shows up and who is able to implement their game plan the most and throw a monkey wrench at the other guy’s game plan. We’ll see,” said Malik on whether Usyk will beat Usyk.
For Usyk to defeat Fury, he’ll need to adapt to the likely roughhouse tactics he’ll be utilizing.
Fury did a lot of holding and leaning in his two fights against Deontay Wilder, which helped wear the American out early. That fight plan will be used again by Fury against the small 6’3,” 220+ lb Usyk. He’ll be giving away over 50 lbs to Fury, which is an unreal amount of weight.
It’s pure folly not to think that Fury will use his massive size advantage to lean on Usyk and tire him out. The risk for Fury is if he’s unable to wear Usyk down with his mauling tactics because the last thing he needs is for him to be darting around like a rabbit in the championship rounds.