Following the announcement of the historic showdown between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk, many fighters and pundits alike highlighted the difficulties in finding a sparring partner to replicate the skill and size of the 6’9” ‘Gypsy King’.
Although, in an equal sense, Fury’s team faced the seemingly impossible task of finding fighters who can imitate the slick movement and phenomenal boxing IQ of the former undisputed cruiserweight champion.
However, the research of Fury’s team appears to have paid dividends, believing that they have unearthed a gem of a heavyweight from Canada to provide the perfect sparring, with the manager of the WBC champion labelling an unknown talent as ‘very special’.
Tyson Fury’s issues with sparring ahead of Usyk chess match
The battle between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk is quite possibly the most monumental clash since the turn of the millennium, as the sport of boxing gears up to crown its first undisputed heavyweight champion in a quarter of a century and its first of the four-belt era.
Yet, there were recent fears that the clash may not go ahead, after Fury was dramatically cut by a rumoured elbow thrown by Agron Smakici during sparring, opening up the cut from a previous contest with Otto Wallin and leading to a three-month postponement of the event. As a result, Fury is reducing the amount of sparring in his training camp as a precaution, meaning that the rounds he does complete must be beneficial and against the right opponent.
An unlikely and unknown solution… Alexis Barriere
In an interview with Queensberry Promotions, Spencer Brown – manager of Tyson Fury, assured the Briton’s fans that he is still getting top quality sparring, selecting only most the elite talents in the world to best prepare the undefeated superstar for what could prove to be the toughest test of his career and giving a nod to one lesser-known fighter from Canada.
“He is [getting the best of the best in sparring], world champion after world champion. We are bringing in one lively amateur who nobody really knows about but he is a top class amateur, he is from the Olympics. Then we’ve got another kid called Alexis [Barriere] from Canada, who nobody really knows about either, but this kid is very, very, very special. So we have got a bit of everything.”
Barriere’s name sticks out to the British crowd in comparison to the other confirmed sparring partners for Fury’s initial camp; Jai Opetaia – who left after just five rounds of sparring, Moses Itauma and Kevin Lerena, each of whom are relatively well known in the United Kingdom, but there appears to be method to the madness.
Who is Alexis Barriere?
An 11-0 professional and current Canadian heavyweight champion, Alexis Barriere has wasted no time acclimatising himself to the professional ranks despite his ongoing amateur career that recently saw him miss out on a place at Paris 2024, after losing in a qualifier last month. The Quebec-born lefty has fought on a minimum of three occasions per year since his debut during Covid and has scored back-to-back knockout wins in his most recent contests.
Speaking to Boxing Now, Barriere explained why he believes he was chosen to emulate the masterful skills of the WBO, WBA & IBF heavyweight champion for around 50 rounds of sparring with Tyson Fury.
“I am a little bit taller than Usyk but I am a southpaw and I move around. I have a lot of speed and I am very intelligent in the ring too, so I think that is why they like me, and I give Tyson some good rounds too.”
Barriere went on to reveal that he has impressed the Fury team so much that he has joined up on a more permanent basis and has began working with Fury’s trainer, SugarHill Steward. Due to Fury’s pull in the division and the obvious capabilities of his newfound sparring partner, don’t be surprised if Alexis Barriere hits U.K. screens and don’t be shocked if he penetrates the world rankings in the not-so-distant future.