Tyson Fury’s boxing promoter Frank Warren reveals what he does and doesn’t want to see from ‘The Gypsy King’ in his upcoming rematch with Oleksandr Usyk.
The enormous heavyweight showdown has rightly captured the attention of the entire combat sports world, but what does ‘The Gypsy King’ need to do differently if he is to get his revenge over the undefeated Ukrainian?
Frank Warren on Tyson Fury’s training, gameplan for Oleksandr Usyk rematch
Will Oleksandr Usyk go 2-0 up against Tyson Fury, or can the British juggernaut equal the score at 1-1? That question will be answered in just a few days’ time when the pair lock horns in Saudi Arabia.
Speaking via Boxing News earlier today, promoter Frank Warren not only claimed that the December 21 rematch will be the biggest fight of 2024, but that it’ll crown the best heavyweight of a generation.
“It’s a massive, massive rematch – probably the biggest fight of the year – and a huge moment for the sport, and we’re going to find out who will be crowned the best heavyweight in the world.”
However, Warren was adamant that if Tyson Fury is to get his hand raised on Saturday evening, he needs to ditch the antics and focus solely on getting the knockout.
“I don’t want to see the showboating… I want to see him focused, I want to see what he did in rounds three through seven in the [first] fight, where he was very much on top controlling the fight with his jab – that’s what I want to see. And he’s capable of doing that.”
Whilst the majority of boxing fans remember the first fight for Oleksandr Usyk almost stopping Fury in the ninth round, Warren believes that the writing is on the wall for a revenge KO.
“I thought that was the way the [first] fight was going up until the end of the round I mentioned, certainly in that seventh round, he wobbled back to the corner, but it wasn’t to be… He’s got to be really, really focused and [on it] 100% of the time.”
According to the iconic promoter, Fury is in the right headspace to not only defeat the Ukrainian but stop him inside the distance; having reduced the amount of distractions during training camp.
“Yeah, he’s got that [finish] in his head, there’s no doubt about that… And he’s prepared differently for this fight, he’s not spoken to his wife for a few months now, he’s reduced the amount of people who are with him – lots of changes from that perspective.
“I’ve hardly spoken to him, his phone is switched off and he’s just focused on this fight, that’s all that matters.”
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Frank Warren confirms trilogy fight is signed, provided Tyson Fury wins rematch
Earlier this week, a video clip of Turki Alalshikh Facetiming both Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk went viral on social media, with Frank Warren keen to drive home the fact that the Chairman of the GEA is simply looking to stack his deck in case of a third bout.
“Yeah, well he’s a boxing fan and he wants to see the third fight, that’s what it is… He’s like all of us, a massive boxing fan, and that’s where he’d like it to be… [The trilogy], it’s contracted, and whatever happens, that will be the case if Tyson wins and providing nobody retires.
“But you know what, you’ve got two great fighters, the two best heavyweights of the 21st Century, no doubt about that, who last May put on the best heavyweight fight of this century… I think we’re going to get something even better this time.”
Heading into their enormous rematch, Usyk remains a moderate favorite over Fury, but whoever gets their hand raised, the real winners will be the fans: “I feel like you are going to see some magic in the ring.”
Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk 2 goes down live from the Kingdom Arena in Saudi Arabia on Saturday, December 21.