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Barring a draw, Saturday night will see us have an undisputed heavyweight champion of the world for the first time since Lennox Lewis almost 25 years ago. It will be a clash between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk for all the marbles in Saudi Arabia.
This will be a huge fight between two technically sound boxers and odds suggest an evenly matched bout with Fury as the slight favorite but, as usual, I think the bookies underestimate Fury, just like he has been underestimated against Klitchko or against Wilder. He should be the bigger favorite here.
Fury has been just brilliant since his comeback in 2015, looking hands down like the best fighter in the division and one of the best heavyweights in history during his wins with Deontay Wilder and Dillian Whyte. However, he had just one fight in the past 18 months and that was with MMA star Francis Ngannou, a clown show in which Fury looked really bad. He did all kinds of events like WWE, looking more interested in entertainment than boxing.
As for Usyk, he shut down talks that he is too small for the heavyweight division during his two wins against Anthony Joshua and here is is ranked almost evens to take all the belts home on Saturday night in Saudi Arabia.
But Fury is no Anthony Joshua, who, in all honesty, has been one of the most overrated fighters in recent history. Fury is on another level, and Usyk has not faced his kind before. On his day, Tyson is still the best heavyweight in the world and I believe he has prepared well for such a huge fight like this. He certainly looks as good as he ever did, so that’s a very good sign and, if he’s on his game, he will win this.
The main thing here is Fury is just too big for Usyk. It’s unlikely Usyk can put Fury down (if Wilder couldn’t KO him, how could Usyk), so he would have to win a decision against one of the most technically gifted heavyweights in history. Usyk is technically sound himself, but how will he get around the size and length difference? That’s a monumental task against Fury if you don’t have the KO punch.
I expect a rather boring fight with Fury putting more points on the board with his length, using his jab, and proving once and for all that he is a once in a generation kind of fighter.
5 inches of height, 7 inches of reach, and 50 pounds of weight – that’s just too much to give up for Usyk in my opinion.
Fury’s clown show over the last couple of years is the only thing that worries me, but given the shape he looks to be in and his track record of showing up when it counts, I think he will be just fine and win a decision. I will pick Fury on the draw no bet market, because a draw is not impossible here, and the difference in odds is marginal. Prediction: Tyson Fury to win.
Pick: Fury (Draw no bet)
Odds: 1.87 @ 1xBet
Stake: 9
Possible profit: 7.83
Event date: 18 May
