By: Sean Crose
There is no doubt that the first fight between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk was the toughest of either man’s life. While Usyk walked out of the ring that Saudi Arabian night in May as the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world (the first in ages) after defeating Fury, he had to earn that title the hard way. For Fury, the towering Brit may have disagreed with the judges’ decision that night (What’s a loser to do after suffering his first loss?), there is no question that, even if he walked out of the ring as the winner against Usyk, Fury would still have fought the toughest fight of his life.
Now, with a rematch set for December, fans and analysts are eagerly awaiting the two men to meet again in Saudi Arabia. Part of what makes the rematch so exciting, of course, is the fact that the first fight was so tense. While Usyk came close to knocking Fury out, he couldn’t, as Fury showed the kind of blood and guts that would make George Patton proud. What’s more, Fury showed how effective his punching can be, using it to keep his opponent at bay for much of the fight.
Unsurprisingly, Usyk isn’t going into the rematch thinking it’s going to be an easy night. “No, it’s not going to be any easier,” the undefeated champion told Mail Sport Boxing (through Monday out). “I think it’s going to be even tougher.” When you’re a fighter of Usyk’s caliber, everyone knows that every opponent is going to be giving their all to be the king of the block. “Look,” Usyk said, “I always prepare myself for a tough night, never an easy night. I’m expecting the universe to crush me so that only my eyes can see what’s going on. I’m excited for things like that.”
When all is said and done, no one can accuse Usyk of not being completely disciplined throughout his career. Indeed, he will likely be regarded as an athlete who has taken on the biggest and most formidable challenges. “I don’t think it’s going to get easier for me,” he said of the Fury rematch, “but I don’t need it to get easier. Diamonds are not found in easy places, because they’re not there. You can’t succeed without hard work, anything that comes easy doesn’t grow.”
