Tyson Fury heads into the most significant fight of his career on Saturday night with an uncharacteristic week behind him.
The WBC champion hasn’t been his usually brash self, other than a couple of occasions when he’s usually the life and soul of fight week events. Reading into the situation, it can mean only one of two things.
Either Fury knows how much is on the line in this fight, or he’s weary of the most formidable challenge presented to him in his career.
Usyk is the most complete boxer Fury has ever stepped into the ring, and by his own admission, “He’s a scary-looking dude.'”
“The Gypsy King” when refusing to face-off, which he’s never done in his career, led to many believing that Usyk has physiologically affected his mindset. Fury usually stares down into the soul of his opponents, beating many of them before the bell goes. Therefore, his decision not to engage was surprising and scored a point for the Ukrainian master.
Fury’s biggest asset is the near forty-pound weight differential and his movement in the ring. He has the skills to bamboozle Usyk but must alter his action quickly during the fight, as the unified champion is notorious for figuring out his opponents in record time.
Whether Fury is playing his own mind games will remain a mystery until the first bell, with his lack of verbal firepower during the build-up deafening.
“I am going to make this short and simple. I want to thank God for the victory that I have received already, and I want to thank everybody involved for putting this massive event on.
“Thank you to Usyk for turning up and challenging me; that is about it. Thank you to all the fans who have traveled over to support me.
“I know it is tough at the moment, and money is hard, so I aim to put on a show. I’m ready. Apart from that, I have nothing to say, but I am ready for a good fight. Tough or easy, either way, I will be ready.”
Make of that what you will, but this is not the Tyson Fury we know. If it’s a new super-focus that he’s adopting, it will become apparent during the fight.
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Read all articles and exclusive interviews by Phil Jay. Learn more about the author, experienced boxing writer, and World Boxing News Editor since 2010. Follow on Twitter @PhilJWBN.
