Frank Warren has said Tyson Fury is in prime physical condition to face Oleksandr Usyk.
The two fighters face off for the Undisputed Heavyweight Championship on May 18. The fight has been delayed twice, with Fury pulling out of the December 23 and February 17 dates. Fury withdrew last December following the Francis Ngannou fight, during which he was dropped in the third round.
The Gypsy King pulled out for the February date after sustaining a big cut over their right eye. While there are worries over Fury’s cut reopening, it has had some benefits. Fury has had more time in camp to lose weight and sharpen his skills. Following the Ngannou fight, there were worries that his legs may have slowed down. But Warren expects his fighter to be on the top of his game.
Warren On Fury
“I’m confident we are going to get a vintage performance, I spoke to him during the week. He’s in a very good shape I think, and although he had that cut it has come good as he has had back-to-back camps. Physically I have never seen him look so well. The worry was going straight into a training camp was that he’d peak too soon. He has worked really hard so that he is in his best nick on May 18. I just feel he is going to put on a magnificent performance and stop Usyk,” Warren said
Nevertheless, Fury is facing a fighter who is known for keeping himself disciplined. Unlike Fury, Usyk does not balloon up in weight between camps. Fury has managed to keep winning despite those faults. But facing an undefeated Usyk may be the difference. The Ukrainian has accustomed himself to the heavyweight division.
He has boxed Anthony Joshua twice, surviving his power and beating the Brit in consecutive bouts. Fury may seek to overpower Usyk with his size, much like he did to Deontay Wilder. Fury may not be the same fighter who faced Wilder. But the WBC Heavyweight Champion’s nutritionist Greg Marriott was confident about Fury’s condition.
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Fury’s Nutritionist
“I do believe that he probably feels like everything’s placed perfectly now. I think for this fight, he just thought ‘I just want to get back to looking great’, and with that comes feeling great too, and being able to do the rounds. He’s happier knowing that he’s already in amazing shape now. He doesn’t have to think about getting weight off anymore. We’ve already done that. I’ve already got him the weight off and to be fair, [the rescheduled fight] is a bit of blessing in disguise,” Marriott stated
There are still question marks over how Fury will enter the fight. He could come in much heavier and lean on Usyk, like he did to Wilder. He could also come in lighter and try to outbox Usyk as he did to Wladimir Klitschko. Fury will have to get his tactics spot on. History has shown that Fury rises to the occasion in the biggest fights.
