How Tyson Fury can beat Oleksandr Usyk
With one of the most significant heavyweight bouts of this century close to being officially announced, the internet is abuzz with speculation on who beats who and how they get it done. Oleksandr Usyk’s manager claimed that the fight would take place no later than March 4th. This means we have a little under 90 days to go until a new undisputed heavyweight king is crowned.
If you love to bet, this fight can take a lot of work to call. Tyson Fury is currently just a -280 favorite over Usyk, which leads us to believe that he might have a slight edge over the Ukrainian. While Usyk did make short work of Anthony Joshua in their last outing, Fury is a different kind of monster whose size and speed is the kryptonite of the heavyweight division.
While both fighters are European, this fight has generated a massive buzz in the United States. Since beating Deontay Wilder, Fury has gained a sizable American fan following. Since we know that the fight is taking place in the first quarter of 2023, we also know it will happen in a fully legalized Ohio betting market.
While the state is only launching online betting in January 2023, sportsbooks are already clamoring to be your first destination as a bettor from Ohio. Several of them have already begun putting out Ohio sports betting promos to get ahead of the curve and by the time this fight rolls along, there should be no shortage of options. But first, let’s take a look at how the fight might turn out. Fury is going into this bout with several advantages over his Ukrainian counterpart. Here are some of the factors that could tilt this bout in his favor.
Reach
Fury towers over most of his opponents at 6’9” or 206cm. This holds true for Usyk too, who stands at 6’3” or 191 cm. Apart from the 6-inch difference in height, Fury has a reach of 85” against Usyk’s 78”. This disparity in height and reach can give Fury a significant advantage if he chooses to fight on the outside and pick Usyk apart at range.
Adaptability
Several times over the last few years, Fury has proven that one of his greatest strengths is the ability to make mid-fight adjustments when things aren’t going his way. When clean boxing didn’t work against Deontay Wilder, he turned it into an ugly grappling match. When he was down on the points, he changed his tactics to go for the knockout. This adaptability will come in handy against a fighter like Usyk, who relies heavily on footwork, speed, and timing to put his opponents away.
Recovery
Fury has demonstrated over the years that he is one of the most durable fighters in the division. His ability to get knocked down and come back harder than before is the stuff of legends. Should Usyk pursue a knockout, he’ll have his work cut out for him, as it will take several knockdowns before the giant Fury can be put away for good.
Size
We must remember that Usyk is a natural cruiserweight who has packed on the pounds to make the heavyweight limit. On the other hand, Fury is a behemoth who weighs over 264 lbs on fight night. Should Fury choose to lay on him, Usyk is going to have a hard time staying clear of the large man.
Movement
Fury is remarkably light on his feet for a man of his size. Instead of relying on strength and power, Fury generally outboxes his opponents by utilizing footwork and head movement to evade their offense. It will be interesting to see how his style plays out against someone with a pure boxing style like Oleksandr Usyk.The heavyweight belts of boxing will finally be unified in this super fight. The last time a single boxer held all belts was at the end of the 20th century in New York, when Lennox Lewis defeated Evander Holyfield. With Fury opening as a betting favorite, we know he possesses several advantages going into this fight. The beautiful thing about combat sports is that absolutely anything can happen come fight night. We can’t wait to see how it all plays out.
