By Barry Holbrook: Peter Fury rates IBF/WBA/WBO heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk as a more well-round fighter than former two-time champ Wladimir Klitschko was during his career.
Klitschko (64-5, 53 KOs) dominated the heavyweight division from 2004 until 2015 when he was finally dethroned at age 39 by Tyson Fury. Usyk (20-0, 13 KOs) is versatile and has “multi-gears, notes Peter.
While the 35-year-old Usyk might not stay on top of the division as long as Wladimir did, he can still leave a great legacy if he defeats Fury, Deontay Wilder, and Joe Joyce before he hangs up his gloves.
WBC champion Fury could face Usyk in the first quarter of the year, depending on whether his banged-up elbow heals quickly enough.
Fury mentioned being injured after his victory over Derek Chisora on December 3rd, and it was unclear at the time whether he would need surgery.
Usyk more well-rounded than Klitschko
“Klitschko’s fought like a big man should; they were good fighters in their day, but he’s a more rounded package is Usyk. He takes punches; he rolls with them, he slips in – he’s got all the skillset in the world,” said Peter Fury to Sky Sports about Oleksandr Usyk.
“He’s not just mastered one skillset and stuck to it; this guy has got multi gears in his closet and can turn the heat up and down. He ticks all the boxes,” said Peter.
Will Fury vs. Usyk fight happen next?
“Usyk didn’t have an interim fight. Tyson Fury did, obviously, on December the 3rd, on that cold night at Spurs,” said Gareth A. Davies to talkSPORT Boxing. “You never know. Usyk may suddenly be saying, ‘I’m not sure. I might want a tune-up before I fight Tyson Fury.’ He may not.
“Tyson mentioned the hand injury. He mentioned it to me on the night, so who knows what’s going on in the background. They may be looking at the purse split, the site fee, and all those things.
“I think they are looking at an overall site fee for it [Fury vs. Usyk]. They want that money to come forward. It’s been very quiet in the Middle East, but then again, Bob Arum and Frank Warren don’t talk as much and maybe not as available as Eddie Hearn is when he talks about those things out in the open all the time.
“As I say, we need some resolution in the next week, otherwise, we might hear different sounds and maybe a different location,” said Davies.