Tyson Fury, it seems, remains adamant that he won the ‘Ring of Fire’ against Oleksandr Usyk. The duo met last month on May 18 at Riyadh’s Kingdom Arena for the heavyweight division’s undisputed title fight. The Ukrainian champion eventually emerged victorious, winning by a split decision. Following the loss, ‘The Gypsy King’ invoked the rematch clause. So the new undisputed champion and the former heavyweight champion will meet again on December 21. In a recent interview, the Mancunian poured his heart out, talking about how the fight went, where exactly things went wrong, and more. As it appears, the discussion on the podcast ‘Furocity’ has grabbed considerable attention since it came. It follows muted voices that have seemingly questioned his drive for the rematch. Eddie Hearn was present at the Kingdom Arena ringside, watching the two heavyweight champions clash.

He was asked for his opinion on the commotion that broke out after Tyson Fury’s latest interview. The Matchroom boss shared his two bits on what might have caused Tyson Fury to make the contentious statements. Subsequently, he also shared his views on whether ‘The Gypsy King’ can turn the tables in the rematch.

Boxing Debate: Eddie Hearn analyzes Tyson Fury’s close fight loss

iFL TV‘s Joe Pugh caught up with Eddie Hearn in Birmingham. The Matchroom honcho had come down for the Tyler Denny–Felix Cash card. So the reporter asked Hearn whether he had seen Tyson Fury’s interview. Eddie Hearn replied that, although he hadn’t, he had received the details from his acquaintances.

Joe Pugh asked for his thoughts on Tyson Fury’s claim that Oleksandr Usyk won only three rounds in the fight. Hearn responded that, first of all, it would be absolutely strange if a boxer had lost a match by a very close margin and then he doesn’t believe or claim that he had actually won. Eddie Hearn shared with iFL TV that he was in Riyadh on May 18, watching the Fury-Usyk fight. So per his scorecard, the Ukrainian champion won by a point or two. However, he emphasized that whenever a fight is so tight and close, there’s always a chance that the final decision could go either way.

He said, “The reality is that most people, I don’t think anyone can argue this, thought Usyk won, but some people thought Fury won, including himself, so he definitely won more than three rounds, but there was also a 10–8 rounds, which was a big turning point in the fight.”

Recalling how he faced a lot of criticism for their view that Usyk hadn’t won many rounds until around the seventh or eighth rounds. Acknowledging that many thought that the fight was even after six rounds, the Matchroom boss explained that overall, it’s a very subjective issue. People tend to look at a close fight very differently. Anyway, despite how the first fight ended, the English promoter thinks that Tyson could win the rematch. “It was a very close fight either way. I think that Tyson can win the rematch,” predicted the Matchroom head honcho.

The buzz around the rematch

But Joe Pugh needed confirmation, it seems. “Does it take place on December 21st? Do you believe?” He asked. Pat came the reply, “Yes.” So the iFL reporter took up what former champion Johnny Nelson said about the Fury-Usyk rematch. So it kind of puzzled Eddie Hearn.

He expressed his surprise as to why anyone would even think that the rematch would not take place at all. “Tyson Fury is a competitor, right? Forget the bullsh*t of I don’t care about the belts. I don’t care about.. he does, he cares about boxing. He’s a competitor. He’s a winner. He wants to win,” he said. Eddie Hearn stressed that going into the rematch and winning it will not only help Tyson Fury make tons of money but also ensure a place among the P4P best boxers in the world.

“Of course he’s going to take the fight, you know, if he gets cut or he breaks his hand or that sort of stuff can happen, but I don’t know why. I don’t know why we’re always quit say what that won’t happen,” lamented the Englishman.

There might be some point in Eddie Hearn’s argument. When a boxer of Tyson Fury’s stature has come this far, it really doesn’t make any sense to suspect whether the rematch would occur or not. The loss wasn’t too great for Oleksandr Usyk to claim an emphatic win. Hence, after considerable introspection and better insights, ‘The Gypsy King’ might have the wherewithal to even score.

What’s your take on Eddie Hearn’s views? Do you also think that Tyson Fury will win the rematch?