Peter Fury Says Tyson Fury Used Wrong Tactics Against Oleksandr Usyk

The veteran trainer believes Tyson Fury’s approach played a major role in both defeats to the unified heavyweight champion

Peter Fury believes Tyson Fury’s game plan against Oleksandr Usyk was flawed in both fights and says the strategy helped decide the outcome. The respected trainer argued that trying to box with Usyk played directly into the Ukrainian champion’s strengths.

Tyson lost back-to-back decisions to Usyk, who remains the unified heavyweight champion and is widely regarded as the top fighter in the division. Peter Fury was asked about those contests and whether the tactics used against Usyk were the right ones.

“Well, look, he’s got his team there, and I’m not criticizing anybody, but both of his tactics was not good in both of them fights,” said Peter to talkSport Boxing.

“It was gone about wrong because look, if we got a small man here who can throw a, let’s say a welterweight who can throw a thousand punches and we got a heavyweight, is the heavyweight going to throw a thousand punches with him? No.

“Or is he going to step in and throw one good shot? Absolutely.

“So, basically, yeah, the strategies was just wrong. It doesn’t mean to say Usyk was better than him. It doesn’t mean to say anything. You get the tactics wrong and it’s wrong.

“And you know when you look at the structure of Usyk and what he does, to stand off and try and box an elite boxer who’s lighter than you, who’s giving pounds away, he’s going to ping you all over the shop. So that should have been spotted,” said Peter Fury.

Tyson Fury announced his return earlier this year and is expected to have a tune-up bout before beginning a planned series with Anthony Joshua. Queensbury promoter Frank Warren recently confirmed that Fury’s next opponent could be announced in the coming days, with the long-awaited Joshua fight targeted for later this year.

Usyk remains at the top of the heavyweight division and has been ordered to face WBC interim champion Agit Kabayel. Warren also confirmed that negotiations for that fight are underway.

A third meeting between Fury and Usyk has not been announced. Peter Fury, however, remains convinced that the strategy used in the first two fights was a decisive factor in the outcome.