“Brutally Honest”: Tony Bellew Predicts Tyson Fury’s Fate in Oleksandr Usyk Rematch

Soon after his first professional loss, Tyson Fury triggered the rematch clause with Oleksandr Usyk. ‘The Gypsy King’ sprinted alongside the Ukrainian champion in the race to be the century’s first undisputed heavyweight champion. Unfortunately, ‘The Cat’ proved too fast and furious for the Mancunian. The Tyson Fury-Oleksandr Usyk II has a scheduled date now, December 21. Predictably, social media platforms and forums are bombarded with the standard line: whether Fury will exact his revenge or not.

There was a time when Tony Bellew might have had Tyson Fury as a dance partner. Following David Haye‘s injury in the lead-up to a rematch, the ‘Bomber’ had received a callout from ‘The Gypsy King’. However, their fight never saw the light of day. Subsequent years did not foster the best relations between the two. He even backed Usyk to stage the upset during the ‘Ring of Fire’. So what about the rematch? Would the response be on predictable grounds?

Tony Bellew Weighs In on Tyson Fury versus Oleksandr Usyk 2

iFL TV‘s Kugan Cassius asked Tony Bellew, “I haven’t spoke to you since obviously Fury’s first defeat as a professional against Usyk; what did you make of it, and also, can he win the rematch?” Television personality and radio presenter Sam Thompson had joined the ‘Bomber’ for company. The latter stressed that Tyson Fury’s loss shouldn’t be considered an embarrassment at all. He stated matter-of-factly that the Mancunian stands every chance of winning a rematch.

But soon Thompson raised the question, “Will he will he win the rematch?” Bellew shot back, “Based on the last performance, no, you can’t, you can’t make it, you can’t make a call for that, but has he got a chance 100%?” Thompson then recalled how the former cruiserweight champion chose Oleksandr Usyk as his pick for the win when they were together in the hit reality show ‘I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!’

The ‘Bomber’ then clarified, “Listen, of course he can come back and I wish him well. I hope he does come back. I hope I hope he’s enjoying life cuz he deserves to. He’s got a wonderful family, and I just, I only wish him well.” Bellew told Kugan Cassius that, in all probability, the Gypsy King’ may not believe what he said. However, deep in his heart, he never entertained any feeling of ill will against any fighter. What he said next might come off as surprising to many fans.

Credit Where It’s Due

Tony Bellew then laid out how Tyson Fury’s presence in the heavyweight division has been so impactful. “What he’s done for heavyweight boxing is huge because, let’s be brutally honest, no one cared about heavyweight boxing,” Bellew said. For close to ten years, Wladimir Klitschko ruled the heavyweight division with a strong hand. The heavyweight division barely attracted anyone’s attention! However, Fury brought his era to an end with his hands. So no one can take away what he accomplished in the division.

On a final note, the ‘Bomber’ clarified that if he picks a boxer for a win, then by any means it doesn’t mean that he has any personal grudge against the person. There’s a reason he remains one of the best boxing analysts available, he explained.

Last year, fans came across Tyson Fury lashing out at Tony Bellew and former super middleweight champion Carl Froch. The reason? Well, they had the audacity to air a critical viewpoint on ‘The Gypsy King’s upcoming fight with Francis Ngannou. The lead-up to the ‘Ring of Fire’ saw him receive a scathing response, with John Fury apparently miffed over Tony Bellew for choosing Usyk to win against his son.

Do you agree with Tony Bellew? Who’s your pick for the win on December 21?