Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury are just now less than a month away from renewing their rivalry over the world heavyweight championship. The Ukrainian won the pair’s first fight via split decision, handing Fury his first career defeat in the process.
While Usyk’s victory saw him become the first undisputed heavyweight champion in 25 years, that same prize won’t be on the line in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on the 21st of December. Boxing politics saw ‘The Cat’ stripped of the IBF heavyweight crown over the summer and the belt now belongs to Fury’s fellow Brit, Daniel Dubois.
Tyson, though, isn’t necessarily concerned about undisputed status. Simply put, the Morecambe man wants to avenge his sole career defeat. Any belts that come along with a victory are a bonus.
The 36-year-old looks in some of the best shape of his professional campaign after images of his current physique leaked from inside his training camp. ‘The Gypsy King’ has vowed that he will get the job done at the second time of asking, but British and Commonwealth heavyweight champion, Fabio Wardley doesn’t share that confidence.
Fabio Wardley Predicts A Tough Night for Tyson Fury in Oleksandr Usyk rematch
Heavyweight contender can’t see Tyson reversing that result of the first fight
Wardley is one of the few men to have shared the ring with Fury and Usyk – having sparred both men – and so is in a unique position to have a say on one of the biggest rematches in heavyweight boxing history, which he did when speaking to Boxing Social.
“I think it’s a lot of the same, to be honest [an Usyk win]. I think Usyk will go into the fight with the mindset, like he has done with all of his fights, that just narrow focus, straight on target, on point, not missing the beat, not missing the step.”
Wardley continued: “Fury will say [about the first fight] that his camp wasn’t ideal, or he wasn’t in the best place or the best shape, or whatever else, who knows? Maybe the loss was what he needed to go 100% and maybe he comes out differently.”
However, Wardley isn’t convinced that there will be a change in outcome. “If I was to put money on it, I’d say it goes pretty much the same way.”
As the ninth-best-ranked heavyweight in the world (according to Ring Magazine), Wardley will have his eyes firmly set on challenging for world honours in the near future. While he’s more likely to get a crack at the loser than the winner, the East Anglian heavyweight will be an interested observer of the action in late December.