Well, here we are !
In the Kingdom Arena, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia tonight the heavyweight championship of the world will be contested with the victor the next champion.
Credit to Britain’s Daniel Dubois for picking up the IBF heavyweight title in the last six months and successfully defending it, but the so-called ‘linear’ champion at the end of tonight’s fight will be either Ukraine’s Oleksandr Usyk or another Briton Tyson Fury. They will be the outright King.
If you haven’t a clue about them or the event, then you don’t follow boxing.
It’s a rematch that promises much between two extremely talented boxers who have consistently performed and delivered at world level. To read a brief note of their respective records and strengths just flip down one article on this page to the LunchBox.
Both men weighed in last night at, by recent comparisons, a subdued event with little drama. The almost eleven minute face-off was at the final press conference two days earlier.
The key point last night was the weight differential (challenger Fury 281 lbs, and champion Usyk 226 lbs). In Imperial weights the Ukrainian almost four stones lighter.
Any other walk of life, unless the biblical David v Goliath, this would make a difference. Usyk though is special and appears undaunted.
Fury weighed in with a leather jacket and trousers on. Unique, but very strange. For a man who does not need to emphasise his far larger body frame, it was very strange. Maybe a tactic to emphasise the point even further ?
Don’t doubt, that this is contest of historical proportions.
The rich history of the sport is defined firstly by the heavyweight division. There’s a saying in it “As the heavyweight division goes, so goes boxing”.
The division is remotely healthy by historical comparison. Ultimately though, given the hype, investment and what’s at stake, this fight has to deliver. We expect it will. Their first meeting back in May 2024 was a barnstormer. Usyk winning by a deserved, but split-decision victory, after twelve hotly contested rounds.
Usyk is absolute quality, fighting and winning out of his southpaw stance. Given the challenges facing the Ukrainian nation currently, this will further add to his motivation.
Fury, ‘The Gypsy King’, by comparison, has the motivation of revenge and the representation of his travelling community. He will not back down. It promises to be another close and competitive contest.
There’s another old adage in boxing “A good big ‘un, will always beat a good little ‘un”. Usyk, so far, has been one major exception to the rule. The oddsmakers, pundits and so-called experts are hesitantly, but ultimately firmly, picking Usyk to successfully defend his championship tonight.
After another excellent contest, we say “Expect a trilogy !”
Enjoy.
The Undisputed 