Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk: Ukraine’s ‘elite fighter’ prepared for showdown | Boxing

Oleksandr Usyk will be the reigning WBA, WBO, IBF and IBO heavyweight world champion however to many the Ukrainian is the underdog going into his long-awaited unifying title combat with Tyson Fury in Riyadh on Saturday.

Dimension issues, it appears, with southpaw Usyk conceding 15 centimetres (6 inches) in top to the two.06-metre (6 foot 9 inch) Fury, 18cm in attain, and near 22kg (49lbs) in weight.

And but, he’s not perturbed.

“To win this, I don’t must be heavy, I must be quick, and fast,” he informed The Ring journal in February simply earlier than the Fury combat was postponed after the Briton picked up a reduce in coaching.

“You by no means see a fats wolf within the forest.”

It’s simple to see Usyk because the lean wolf, crafty, fast and ruthlessly efficient.

His good report of 21 wins and no defeats as a professional, 14 of these inside the space, speaks for itself.

And other than these three heavyweight belts, he may also look again on a profession that introduced him Olympic gold in London in 2012 and the undisputed cruiserweight championship of the world.

Past the undoubted pedigree within the ring, he additionally has the hearth inside {that a} boxer desperately wants when he has reached the consolation of the mountain high.

FOR THE THRONE 👑

Usyk 🆚 Fury

Undisputed Heavyweight Championship 🏆

Who’s your favourite? @RiyadhSeason #Boxing #Boxeo #WBA #WBABoxing pic.twitter.com/DOe4FyYRHs

— WBA Boxing (@WBABoxing) May 14, 2024

‘Usyk shouldn’t be preventing for himself’

It gave Usyk an additional dimension when he confronted Anthony Joshua in Jeddah in August that 12 months, nearly a 12 months after he had taken the Briton’s titles in London.

“Within the ninth spherical I realised that if I fall now, the spirit of the fighters who defend our nation may even fall,” he informed AFP information company.

“I didn’t field for myself, I boxed for all those that defend the nation.”

Eighteen months on from that combat and the Russians proceed to wage struggle on Ukraine, including gas to the Usyk hearth.

In some methods, it marks a shift in notion of the 37-year-old who additionally beat Daniel Dubois in Poland final August.

Born within the Crimean city of Simferopol, he was accused by many Ukrainians of sitting on the fence over Russia’s annexation of the peninsular in 2014 and castigated for saying that Russians and Ukrainians have been the identical folks.

Since Russia’s 2022 invasion, nevertheless, the tune has modified with promoter Alexander Krassyuk saying that Usyk “is the true inspiration for Ukraine, for the blokes on the entrance line”.

“When he speaks, these phrases encourage the Ukrainian folks and the troopers to combat the enemy and to have braveness,” Krassyuk informed ProBox TV in August final 12 months.

“Usyk shouldn’t be preventing for himself any extra.”

Usyk has felt the struggle shut up. Instantly after the invasion he returned to Kyiv and hung out on patrol.

Then his former teammate Oleksiy Dzhunkivskyi was shot useless by the Russians.

He was persuaded, nevertheless, to return to the ring, to combat the struggle in a extra public enviornment.

“The fellows from the armed forces satisfied me that I want to organize and combat to assist my nation on the worldwide stage, speak about it and convey alternatives to Ukraine to revive my nation,” he informed AFP.

Past that, although, Usyk is conscious of historical past calling within the ring.

‘I combat for legacy, not cash’

Victory over Fury, who has held the WBC title since 2020, would make him the primary undisputed heavyweight champion of the world since Lennox Lewis defeated Evander Holyfield in 1999.

“I combat for legacy, not cash,” Usyk informed The Ring in January.

“Heavyweight boxing has not had this sort of combat since 1999. I do know the historical past.”

He has had his public spats with Fury alongside the way in which however Usyk believes that he has the higher hand now within the psychological battle.

“I sit in his head like a bit tractor driver,” he mentioned in an interview final 12 months.

The final phrase on Usyk ought to lie with the person who can be making an attempt to strip him of his three belts.

“I respect Usyk as a person,” mentioned Fury.

“I respect his profession as effectively. I’m preventing the true deal. He’s obtained good footwork, good boxing capability, technically sound.

“He’s proved he can combine it with the large heavyweights as a result of he’s beat Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois. I’m messing with an elite fighter.”