Carl Froch believes Tyson Fury will gas himself if he fails to score a fourth-round knockout of Oleksandr Usyk on Saturday. Froch thinks Fury’s weight is too high at 281 lbs for him to pull off and lose to unified heavyweight champion Usyk (22-0, 14 KOs) in their rematch at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh.
If ‘Gyspy King’ Fury fades after three or four rounds, he is likely to be knocked out by Usyk. The referee who saved Fury last time with his spot-on eight-count in round nine did not work the rematch on Saturday. So, Tyson will be alone, needing to get out of the hot water without a hand.
Fury decided to go along with the desperate belief that he could use the weight to gain more strength and maybe lean on Usyk to use it. He had used these tactics against Deontay Wilder, Dillian Whyte and Derek Chisora.
That style was taught to Fury by his trainer SugarHill Steward, but it was just a game plan that worked against the three limited fighters above. He was ineffective against Fury’s last two opponents, Usyk and Francis Ngannou.
Endurance Doubts
“Just the confidence, the smile and the balance of Usyk. He’s just the class today. With the first fight that went as it went in round nine, I made him the favorite all week, and I’m even more confident “, said Carl Froch to Matchroom Boxingpicks Oleksandr Usyk to win Saturday night in his defense against Tyson Fury.
“You can’t write off Tyson. He’s a big kid; he’s strong, but I think he’s too heavy (281 lbs). He’s 20 stone. If you don’t get him out of there in the first three or four rounds, He’s going to blow a gasket. He’s going to fill that extra weight himself. I don’t think he’s doing himself an extra favor.
“I could be wrong. He could go in there and lean on Usyk, catch him, and try to get him out of there. That should be his game plan,” Froch said.
It seems that Fury has no confidence in himself, and his trainer, Sugarhill, has no ideas other than the game plan that worked for the Wilder fight. Fury developed only one idea: try to bully Usyk.
“Take off the leather clothing, and let’s say it’s down to 277. It’s been there before. I didn’t like that weight,” said commentator Steve Bunce on Fury. “That’s when it’s slow and cumbersome. That’s obviously the plan. It’s a great plan, but what happens in the sixth round if Usyk has avoided all danger. All that weight takes a toll.
“Usyk, with his clothes, is probably exactly the same as he was in the last fight because he is what he is. He is a scientist.”
