Evander Holyfield, a boxing legend who's been in some famous rematches himself, has shared his thoughts on how Tyson Fury should approach his upcoming rematch with Oleksandr Usyk.
Holyfield knows a thing or two about high-stakes rematches. In 1996, he won the WBA heavyweight title by stopping Mike Tyson in the 11th round. Their rematch in 1997, known as "the bite fight," ended in controversy when Tyson bit a chunk out of Holyfield's ear and got disqualified.
Now, Holyfield's turned his attention to the Fury-Usyk rematch. Usyk beat Fury on points in May 2023, landing a standout punch in the ninth round and becoming the undisputed heavyweight champion. It's worth noting that Usyk had achieved undisputed status six years earlier in the cruiserweight division.
In an interview with FightHype, Holyfield offered some advice for Fury:
"He's got to use the jab more. He's got to double jab more. He can't grab the guy. He's got to step back, come forward, step back. When you grab somebody, you give them a chance to rest and hit you."
Fury has admitted he lost focus in the first fight and has vowed to be more concentrated in the rematch. On the other hand, Usyk has said Fury was his toughest opponent.
Holyfield's own experiences in rematches, particularly against Tyson, give weight to his advice. He started well in their rematch before Tyson's frustration led to the infamous biting incident.
The boxing world will be watching closely to see if Fury takes Holyfield's advice to heart and changes his strategy for the rematch with Usyk.
