By Jim Calfa: Tyson Fury is finally ready to speak about taking on Oleksandr Usyk next in early 2023 after disposing of Derek Chisora in the tenth round last Saturday night in a boring fight at Tottenham Hotspurs Stadium in London.
Provided that the fight can be negotiated and Fury isn’t sidelined for long due to his hand and elbow injury from the Chisora fight, we should see him face the unbeaten Usyk in February or March.
In the build-up to the trilogy match against Chisora (33-13, 23 KOs), Fury (33-0-1, 24 KOs) had purposefully refused to speak about the undisputed clash with Usyk (20-0, 13 KOs) because he didn’t want to disrespect Derek by overlooking him.
Now that Fury has taken care of the 38-year-old Chisora, he can get on with the important fight against IBF, WBA & WBO champion Usyk next.
Usyk took an earful from Fury after the fight, being trash-talked in a similar way to a professional wrestling-type situation.
“Usyk came here tonight to do a fight. He stood there and got in my face and wants to fight,” said Tyson Fury at the post-fight press conference last Saturday night about why he’ll be looking to face IBF/WBA/WBO heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk next.
The southpaw Usyk is a different type of fighter than anyone Fury has faced before in the pro ranks, and it’s going to be interesting to see whether he can handle the movement, speed, and accurate punching.
“Let’s talk about Usyk because now we can,” said Fury. “Before, everyone wanted to ask about Usyk when I had Chisora to beat. I’m ready; I’m willing to take on Usyk next. Whether it’s in Saudi Arabia or back here in the UK.”
Fury has become one-dimensional with how he’s come to rely on his holding & leaning style taught to him by the U.S. coach Sugarhill Steward. While that approach has worked against Chisora, Deontay Wilder, and Dillian Whyte, it might be effective against Usyk.
Hopefully, for Fury’s sake, he’s able to pull out other tools from his toolbox if he’s unable to utilize his ugly mauling style against Usyk. For that approach to work against Usyk, it’ll require that he stand still to allow Fury to grab him repeatedly to use his leaning.
Usyk might be too clever for that simplistic approach to work on him, and it could end badly for Fury with him being humiliated.