The Gypsy King wants to focus on the masses, Turki Al ash-Sheikh wants to focus on the low cost of paid broadcasting
In less than three weeks, December 21former WBC world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury (34-1-1, 24 KO) in Riyadh will meet in a rematch with the holder of WBC, IBO, WBA and WBO heavyweight belts Alexander Usik (22-0, 14 KOs). According to insider reports, Fury will use cunning in a re-fight with Usikand Chairman of the General Authority of Entertainment of Saudi Arabia Turks Al ash-Sheikh has already made an unexpected move. Let’s explain.
The organizers’ trick
According to media reports, the first fight between Usik and Fury was watched by about 20 million people on pirate sites, which led to lost profits of about a billion dollars (according to experts, illegal broadcasts reduce PPV purchases by at least 30–40%). The organizers of the first fight between Alexander Usik and Tyson Fury received a total loss of $27 million from the boxing evening, which forced them to look for ways to solve the problem.
The eastern trick worked: Turki Al ash-Sheikh decided to reduce the cost of PPV to $40. The scheme was rolled out at the Crawford – Madrimov fight, and consolidated at the Joshua – Dubois fight. The paid broadcast of the last fight was bought by 815,000 people – this is an excellent indicator for any event. For the Usyk-Fury rematch, the numbers are predicted to be even higher.
Fury’s Cunning
According to insiders, Tyson Fury will rely on weight and power in his rematch with Alexander Usik. Thus, the famous journalist Gareth Davis said that the Gypsy King will enter the rematch with the Ukrainian with a weight of 124 kilograms, taking into account the second fight with Wilder. Then Fury also gained weight and, according to many, gave the best fight of his career, winning early in the seventh round. Interestingly, Tyson entered the third fight with Wilder even heavier – 126 kg, but despite two knockdowns, he also won ahead of schedule. The focus on power and stability worked.
Another thing is whether this will be enough in the rematch with Usik, with whom Fury entered the first fight with a weight of 118 kg. Of course, provided that this is not a deliberately false leak.
“When Tyson beat Wladimir Klitschko nine years ago, he was 27 years old, very light on his feet, and he confused opponents with his telescopic arms, his movements and his tying up fighters,” Davis notes. “That version went away in the three fights with Deontay Wilder, especially in the second and third, where he became a harder hitter.”
Another question is, if 36-year-old Fury enters a rematch with Usik at 125 kilograms, how long will he be able to maintain the pace proposed by the Ukrainian? If he runs out of steam after four or five rounds and Usyk doesn’t, the Gypsy King will be an easy target.
Former three-division world champion Duke McKenzie also believes that Fury’s plan will play into Usyk’s hands. Fury doesn’t live, eat, walk or talk like an athlete, although he should, says McKenzie. – Fights are won or lost in the intervals between fights. We know that Fury breaks down, puts on a lot of weight between fights, and then has to cut all that weight off again. Now they’re trying to tell us that Fury is going to get bigger and better. Bigger and better will not defeat Usyk. Fury will be slower, he will be more predictable, he will throw more punches much earlier.”
Joshua’s Trick
One of the main fighters interested in the outcome of the Usyk-Fury rematch will be former world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua, who lost to Daniel Dubois in his last fight. Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, said that Anthony will fight twice in 2025, but for now we need to wait for the outcome of the rematch between Usyk and Fury. At the same time, the victory of the Ukrainian is beneficial for Joshua. In this case, Anthony has a chance to get into a championship fight again or make good money.
Let’s start with the fact that the third fight between Joshua and Usyk is meaningless: the Ukrainian won two fights, the Briton did not improve for the third fight.
Read also: UNCONDITIONAL! 10 facts proving the greatness of Usik
If Usyk defeats Fury for the second time, he can easily hang up his gloves, focusing on exhibition fights or his debut for Polesie in an official match. In this case, Joshua and Fury can hold a head-to-head fight that will receive championship status (Hearn and Warren will decide this issue. If Usik decides to remain in the heavyweight division, Fury and Joshua can hold a fight that will attract both the box office and the audience. If Fury wins against Usik, the big fight will be in doubt for Joshua…
Source: Sportarena
I am Ben Stock and I work in Athletistic as an author. My specialty is covering football news and other related topics. I have been writing for this website since the past 2 years, crafting compelling stories with the latest updates in the sports world. My articles have gained widespread appreciation amongst readers due to their accuracy and depth of research.
