Tyson Fury is getting ready for a rematch with Oleksandr Usyk after losing their first fight in May 2023. The bout, which took place in Saudi Arabia, saw Usyk win by split decision and claim the undisputed heavyweight title.
For Fury, this marks new territory. He's never had to bounce back from a loss before. In their first meeting, Fury started strong but ran into trouble in the eighth round. Usyk caught him with a shot that caused a nose injury, leading to a tough ninth round for the British fighter.
The rematch is set for December 2023, giving both fighters time to prepare. But there's been some talk about Fury's readiness for their first encounter.
Derek Chisora, a fellow British heavyweight, shared his thoughts on Fury's preparation in an interview with TalkSPORT. He said:
"When Tyson fights, he fights for himself, when Usyk fights, he fights for his country. I don't think Tyson was 100% when he walked into that ring. He had a massive cut. He didn't want to get fined for missing the fight so he didn't spar like he wanted to spar. He was under-prepared. I think Usyk stops him this time."
But Fury's promoter, Frank Warren, doesn't agree. In his own chat with TalkSPORT, Warren insisted that Fury trained hard for the fight. He pointed out that Fury performed well for the first seven rounds and only lost focus after the nose injury.
Fury himself admitted he was enjoying himself too much in the first fight. He's promised to stay switched on for the rematch.
While Fury and Usyk prepare for their second clash, Anthony Joshua is gearing up for a fight against Daniel Dubois this weekend. Joshua hopes a win will put him in line to face the winner of Fury-Usyk for the undisputed title.
The heavyweight division is buzzing with activity. Fury's quest for redemption against Usyk will be a key storyline to follow in the coming months.
