Fury vs Usyk 2: What next for Tyson Fury, Oleksandr Usyk and heavyweight division?
Boxing is one of the easiest sports to follow, which is why the YouTuber and the 58-year-old boxer are able to attract global attention.
Yet only a few can truly grasp its complexity. Fury and Usyk are not only students of the game, they can work out the sweet science.
Fury first competed in a senior amateur bout nearly 20 years ago, while Usyk has been boxing since 2006.
After such a long and grueling career – grueling training camps, emotional and mental turmoil, injuries suffered in sparring and fight nights – they were still able to create a masterpiece.
The way Fury battled substance abuse and mental health issues during his time away from the ring, before losing eight stone and regaining his world title, is testament to the natural ability of one of the best boxing technicians in heavyweight boxing.
Usyk is one of boxing’s best readers – a calm fighter who can size up a situation, adjust his strategy mid-fight and put his foot on the gas when it matters most; he’s already been in the grandest of games in six months. It was done twice on stage.
All boxers should be praised for the courage and commitment it takes to step into the ring, but only a select few with the most prestigious reputations can be hailed as game-changers.
Fury and Usyk have also joined the shortlist. Their place in the Hall of Fame is fixed, and the two will forever share their era-defining period.
