Fans are wondering if Tyson Fury can go into his rematch with unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk without cutting his long beard in his headliner at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh.
Fury’s facial fortification
The beard could be a way for Fury to cushion the blows he’s about to get hit by Usyk to avoid getting knocked out. have a Paul Bunyan The lumberjack beard could save Fury from being defeated by Usyk, giving him a chance to win on the scorecards.
It is not fair if Fury has a beard that is a defense like the historian Maginot Line. Should Usyk find a way to defeat this defensive fortification? Will the beard defense hold up under the strategic attacks from Usyk?
Undisputed lightweight champion Artur Beterbiev is allowed to fight with a beard, but he’s not at the same length as Fury, and he’s had no trouble taking hard shots the way the Gypsy King has.
“Take him out. That’s what me and (trainer) Sugar (Hill Steward) are planning, get him out of there,” Tyson Fury told Fight Hub TV, revealing his basic goal for his rematch with Oleksandr Usyk on Saturday night.
“I did everything nice last time. I didn’t understand. It was a close fight. This time, it will be a different fight. I will be a different person, a different fighter. I was 40% last time. 110% this time.
“Not true. I sparred a little bit, but not as much as I wanted. Let’s say that. I don’t want to make excuses, but let’s say that the real Tyson Fury shows up on Saturday night. I think I’m going to knock him out. I don’t think he will I have to. I know I have to,” Fury said.
If Fury fails to knock Usyk out and he himself is stopped, we’ll see if Turki Alalshikh is still interested in paying big money for his fights because that would be his third straight loss, really, if you count what should be a defeat against Francis Ngannou on October 28, 2023.
“When he comes to the attack, I will annihilate him for sure. I have always been fearless in the waters of the heavyweight division. I have shown it time and time again. I am here to put on an excellent show and recover everything I lost,” Fury said.
Tyson’s resume is too limited to say that he “has always been fearless” during his career because the only two notable world-class fighters he faced and beat were 39-year-old Wladimir in 2015 and Deontay Wilder. Klitschko was obviously old and washed up, and Wilder was a shaky fighter whose best career win before fighting Fury was against 40-year-old Luis Ortiz.
Also in Wilder’s case, it’s fair to note that he deserved two KO wins over Fury in fights #1 and #3. That count that referee Jerry Reuss gave Fury in the 12th round of the first fight was so crazy. In the third fight, Fury was given what many felt was a long count after being dropped by Wilder in the fourth round. Fury has a checkered past in terms of avoiding defeats, with referees making odd calls that have worked in his favor.
Fury’s weight
“I’m the heaviest I’ve been in years. I’m like 295 lbs. Show me the money. I’m a prizefighter; that’s what I do. So, Klitschko wants another hiding. I’m the man to do it,” said Fury that Turki Alalshikh was interested in making a rematch between them.
Fury obviously isn’t anywhere near 295 or even 280. His weight looks closer to 255 to 260. A fight against 48-year-old Wladimir Klitschko probably won’t be an option if Fury loses to Usyk on Saturday night; that would take away a lot of interest from the small number of fans who wanted to see that match.
