Oleksandr Usyk vs Tyson Fury 2 Tale of the Tape, Undercard, & Breakdown

Two-time undisputed, and current unified heavyweight champion, Oleksandr “the Cat” Usyk will again face Tyson “the Gypsy King” Fury in the highly anticipated rematch of their battle for undisputed in May of this year. Usyk came out on top of the split decision, as we know, but it was by all accounts a close fight with many ebbs and flows with a difference maker being the famous 9th round that resulted in a 10-8 in Usyk’s favor. As with any close fight, debate about who actually won, or if it should have been stopped, proliferated in the boxing world. The second fight had already been set and it may have been one of the few times the vast majority of fans agreed that an immediate rematch would be a good thing. On Saturday in Saudi Arabia, one of the best boxing matches of the year will get its sequel, and one man in its most celebrated and beloved weight class will leave the desert as unified heavyweight champion of the world. 

Some may consider this merely a continuation of their first meeting, but there are many differences between them. For example, instead of 2 undefeated champions entering the arena, there is but one. Usyk, no longer undisputed, is indeed still unified, as well as the lineal champion, while Fury is now familiar with the bitter taste of defeat. On familiarity, these cerebral operators have shared the ring for 12 rounds, as opposed to none, and it would stand to reason that they have learned quite a bit about the man that will stand before them. That being said, both have a well known ability to make adjustments both between fights and on the fly, so there are still likely a few surprises yet to come. Another measurable thing that distinguishes the rematch from the first is that the training camp will be more straightforward. The inaugural clash was originally scheduled for February 12th. But with just 2 weeks before fight day, Fury suffered a cut on his eyebrow that resulted in a three month postponement. That turn of events effectively forced them to go through two training camps, which likely made at least some difference on the night.

In regards to the mindsets and motivations of the men come the 21st, that is difficult to predict, and especially to quantify. Defending hard earned titles versus getting the ones you’ve lost back and righting a perceived wrong, or even switching from the favorite to the underdog and vice versa, may indeed influence the way this one will play out. But those are the types of things that can only be speculated upon. There are myriad forces at play, both tangible and intangible, when it comes to two exemplary human beings trying to best each other in a sport that is so capricious, in a weight class that only magnifies its unpredictable nature. Attempting to understand them all, even after the fact, is an exercise of futility. Beforehand it’s nigh on impossible.

What we do know is that we will see two of the best heavyweights today face each other a second time in hopes of staking their claim in the current era and declaring it, once and for all, their own.