They claimed that Tyson Fury was completely transformed. He appeared completely different while gazing up at Francis Ngannou after being knocked down in the third round, and he appeared equally different when preparing for Oleksandr Usyk by taking selfies that showcased an incredibly significant weight loss.
Maybe, ultimately, one event had caused another. Maybe, similar to how someone who is heartbroken may find comfort in physical activity after a failed relationship, Fury reacted to challenges by taking drastic actions to alter his appearance and, consequently, his future.
It is yet to be determined if this approach will be successful or not. However, Fury has recently shown a significant change in both his physical appearance, as seen in his performance against Francis Ngannou, and through his topless selfies taken in gyms or bathrooms. These images hint at a more streamlined version of Fury leading up to his fight against Usyk on Saturday, May 18.
Andy Lee, one of Fury’s trainers, exclaimed, “During Joseph Parker’s bout against Zhang Zhilei in Saudi Arabia, I caught up with Tyson and was amazed by his incredible physical condition. The evidence is undeniable when you witness the videos and pictures circulating online.”
He is eagerly looking forward to this fight. Ever since Usyk defeated Joshua for the first time in 2021, he has been discussing it. He has a distinct personality. I recall one Wednesday afternoon when it was just the two of us at the gym, and he went on a passionate hour-long rant about how he would defeat Usyk and his strategy to do so. His voice was full of determination. He would say things like, “I will land this punch… I will execute this move… How will he even get close to me?” He would ask, “I’ll just use my jab to control him.” I had to remind him, “Tyson, it’s just the two of us here.” But the remarkable thing was that it wasn’t an act. He is completely devoted to this fight, and I believe you will witness his absolute best.
Form-wise, only once the first bell rings and the fight starts we will either see the best of Fury or the worst of Fury. However, if talking physical condition, we should have a good indication of that long before the first bell and long before Usyk tries to further reduce Fury in size with his left and right hands. Weigh in heavy and we know it was all a ruse, a trick of the mind, blind hope; whereas should Fury come in lighter than usual the assumption then will be that he has trained harder than ever for this fight and that, moreover, he sees a smaller man in Usyk and believes the key to defeating him lies in his ability to match him for both speed and mobility.
“I don’t know if losing weight always does help,” said Lee, playing devil’s advocate. “Listen, it will help him move on his feet, and with his footwork in general, but in terms of hand speed, I don’t know if that changes. I’m not all in on this theory that you have to lose a load of weight because you’re fighting a smaller guy. Joe Joyce lost weight to fight Zhang and he got stopped and had a bad night. But then he put weight back on for the rematch and still got beat, only more conclusively this time.
“I think the key is to just fight at your natural weight – always. For heavyweights, there is no weight limit, so you have the luxury of finding out your best weight and always fighting in and around that weight. Tyson will know that weight and I’m sure it will be somewhere around the weight he is now.”
Tyson Fury (Nathan Stirk/Getty Images)
Irrespective of their official weights, when Fury and Usyk face each other in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia this weekend, Fury will undeniably possess distinct physical advantages. Firstly, he will enjoy a five-inch height advantage and a seven-inch reach advantage over Usyk. Additionally, considering their previous weights, Fury is likely to be the naturally heavier fighter. Usyk weighed 221 pounds in his last bout, whereas Fury tipped the scales at 277 pounds.
However, it is important to note that in heavyweight fights, there are often other factors to consider besides just statistics and physical attributes. This is particularly true when facing someone like Usyk, who was previously the undisputed cruiserweight champion. Despite not having the typical size of a modern-day heavyweight, Usyk compensates with his exceptional skills, resilience, and agility in both his hands, footwork, and strategy.
Even individuals like Lee, who have only observed Usyk from the outside, can recognize the exact qualities that make him an enigmatic opponent. According to Lee, even Tyson would admit that Usyk is not his toughest fight, as he considers his encounter with Wilder at that time to be more challenging and hazardous. However, Usyk exhibits exceptional intelligence and cunning, typical of the great amateur boxers from Eastern Europe. Their every action is well-thought-out, be it the timing of their feints, their strategic movements, the way they set up their attacks, or the tactics they reveal. These fighters are exceptionally astute and shrewd in their approach.
However, Tyson is also a highly intelligent fighter. When he steps into the ring, he possesses the ability to analyze and adapt to the situation. I recently discussed this with Sugar Hill, who is another coach for Fury. He expressed his confidence in Tyson’s skills, saying, “All I have to do is activate that mindset because in our previous training camp, we had everything aligned to defeat Usyk and it was all falling into place. Now, Tyson has all those elements within him. So, all he has to do is return to that state and continue where we left off.”
This fight against Usyk is quite tricky due to his size and skill. Standing at six feet four, he has built himself up and possesses the punching power of a top amateur. However, what truly sets him apart from Tyson’s previous opponents is his unwavering self-belief. Beyond the technicalities, what truly matters in a fight is a person’s mindset. How they think and feel, and whether they believe in themselves. In the second fight against Joshua, Usyk demonstrated this mental strength. Despite Joshua’s strong round, Usyk remained composed, talked to himself in his corner, and then came back even stronger in the next round, winning every round thereafter. This presents a significant challenge for Tyson. Throughout his career, Tyson has always had the advantage of mental strength. He has been able to intimidate and get inside the heads of his opponents, both before and during fights. However, facing someone like Usyk, this mental edge becomes an even greater challenge.
Believe it or not, preparing for Oleksandr Usyk on May 18 has been relatively easier for Team Fury compared to their previous opponent, Francis Ngannou, on October 28. The reason being that with Usyk, despite his tricks, you know what to expect. He is a traditional boxer with a documented boxing history that can be studied through video footage. On the other hand, Ngannou was a much more elusive and complex opponent. He had various roles, ranging from a circus performer to the world’s strongest man. He was skilled in both mixed martial arts and professional boxing. Ngannou was a combination of a fall guy and a tough guy, and his physical presence was immense yet he managed to remain somewhat invisible.
“It was a strange one to prepare for,” admitted Lee. “I remember one day in camp we had a conversation and I said, ‘This guy is hungry. I was just reading his backstory and reading about how he came from nothing and was living homeless before eventually becoming UFC champion. This guy’s hungry.’ Tyson just said, ‘Yes, I know. I’m doing all I can. It’s not like I’m cutting corners or not taking it seriously.’ And I said, ‘Yeah, you’re right.’
“But mentally it’s different because you’re in with a guy who has never boxed professionally. You naturally don’t have that same level of threat there. Also, although they said Ngannou had never boxed, the truth is, he had been boxing a long time. Joseph (Parker) remembers seeing him in the boxing gym in Vegas in 2018, so he has been in boxing a long time.
“In the fight itself he was very cautious against Tyson and that worked out well for him. He was more ambitious against Anthony Joshua (in March) and that didn’t work out well for him.”
Ngannou leaves Fury floored (Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
Fury initially engaged in a playful game of patty-cake at a top-notch Saudi playground, but little did he know that it would escalate into the most crucial and potentially embarrassing battle of his otherwise remarkable career. The unexpected turn of events during the fight against Usyk has left many who were once staunch supporters of Fury unable to fully endorse him anymore. Lee and presumably Fury himself acknowledge this undeniable fact.
“He won the fight, but because of the performance, it didn’t feel like a win,” Lee said. “There was no doubt in my mind that he deserved to win the fight, but he didn’t win it in the fashion he was supposed to.
“Tyson can be like that, though. He can have bad performances when he doesn’t have that threat or that fear. I was probably too comfortable as well because I didn’t think much of Ngannou after seeing him on the pads. I saw that and thought, No, this guy isn’t at the races.
“Also, Tyson had the fight week press conference and a weigh-in, then engagements after both. He was up late both nights and on the night didn’t get into the ring to fight Ngannou until 3 am. All this plays a part. Maybe he didn’t physically underestimate him, but none of this other stuff he would have been doing had he been fighting Usyk.”
Put simply, Tyson Fury will be completely unrecognizable on Saturday night, whether in terms of his condition, focus, or performance.
