Tony Bellew explains why WBC king Tyson Fury could look ‘horrendous’ in undisputed Oleksandr Usyk fight
Tony Bellew, a former boxer, is endorsing one of his past opponents to triumph over Tyson Fury in their forthcoming undisputed bout.
Retiring from boxing in November 2018 after a punishing knockout loss to Oleksandr Usyk, Bellew now sees Usyk poised to challenge Fury for a historic four-belt heavyweight showdown on May 18. Despite Usyk’s stature disadvantage—standing at 6ft 3in compared to Fury’s towering 6ft 9in frame—and the likely weight discrepancy of approximately 50 pounds on fight night, Bellew remains steadfast in his belief that Usyk can emerge victorious in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Bellew highlights Usyk’s style as a potential key to victory, citing Fury’s historical struggles against smaller, mobile opponents and counter-punchers. Bellew references Fury’s challenging encounter with Francis Ngannou, a former UFC star with no boxing experience, who managed to trouble Fury in their bout last October.
Bellew stated, “On the technical side of things, Tyson Fury has always struggled with smaller movers and is horrendous when it comes to counter-punchers.”
Despite Fury’s acknowledgment of his subpar performance against Ngannou, he appears to be doubling down on his efforts to rectify his shortcomings ahead of the clash with Usyk. Fury’s nutritionist, Greg Marriott, recently shared a photo of the WBC heavyweight champion showcasing a notably lean physique, signaling his commitment to peak physical condition for the upcoming bout.
While physiques alone do not determine fight outcomes, Fury’s dedication to his conditioning suggests a concerted effort to defy Bellew’s prediction of Usyk making him look ‘horrendous’ in the ring.
