Sparring partner Dave Allen predicts that WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury will be “too big” for IBF/WBA/WBO champ Oleksandr Usyk on May 18th in their undisputed match.
Allen says he’s sparred with both heavyweights and been knocked out by them, but he was more impressed with Fury (34-0-1, 24 KOs) than he was with Usyk (21-0, 14 KOs).
Fury’s Activity and Age Raise Questions
Of course, we don’t know when the sparring took place between them. If it was years ago, Allen’s view is useless because Fury has aged something fierce since 2021, and he hasn’t fought a quality heavyweight since his notorious ‘slow count’ win over Deontay Wilder three years ago.
Fury has arguably been retired since 2021 and has taken it easy with his career, fighting just three times against non-boxer Francis Ngannou and the British journeymen Dereck Chisora and Dillian Whyte.
Fury’s win over Ngannou doesn’t count, and the victories over the domestic-level heavyweights Chisora and Whyte should have an asterisk next to them to show they weren’t against world-class fighters.
Many believed that Fury was just hanging around as a semi-retired fighter to enjoy the dough that the Saudis were throwing at him, but he was no longer hungry and definitely not the fighter he was in his heyday in 2015. Fury has practically cashed in and checked out.
It’s no secret that Fury has enjoyed the Saudi money, and he seems to be no longer mentally into the sport. I can’t blame him.
Does Usyk Need a KO to win?
The one thing that isn’t being discussed about the May 18th Fury-Usyk fight is whether the judging of the referee will be top-notch. We saw Fury win a controversial 10-round split decision over Ngannou last October in Riyadh.
Some believe Usyk will need a knockout to be given a win, and when I say ‘Knockout,’ I mean, he may need to knock Fury out cold to be given credit for KO’ing him.
We all saw how Fury was knocked out by Deontay Wilder in the first fight, and the referee stood over him while he was unconscious, giving a count.
“I think they are the two best heavyweights on the planet. I’ve sparred them both, but I think Fury is too big,” said Dave Allen to The Sun on his belief that Tyson Fury will be too big for Oleksandr Usyk.
“Tyson has the advantage in the size, and maybe even the experience. He’s certainly the natural heavyweight,” said Adam Smith to Pro Boxing Fans, giving his thoughts on the Fury vs. Usyk fight.
“Oleksandr, an amazing amateur, an incredible cruiserweight. He’s an incredible heavyweight champion. Can he do it against the best of the era in Tyson Fury? Can he deal with the big guy if the big guy is absolutely on song?”