Tyson Fury Just Admitted to a Worrying Problem in His Training Camp for Oleksandr Usyk

The battle to settle a 25-year-old enigma is barely a month away. On May 18, two heavyweight champions—WBC belt holder Tyson Fury and unified heavyweight titlist Oleksandr Usyk—will meet at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The winner of the bout will become an undisputed champion. Since legend Lennox Lewis accomplished the feat in 1999, there have been quite a few unified heavyweight champions. But the division stayed, sadly, devoid of an undisputed king. So many diehards heaved a sigh of relief when they saw a solution to the long-running puzzle.

The Fury-Usyk fight, in fact, could have taken place a bit earlier. Per the initial schedule, they were supposed to fight on February 17. However, ‘The Gypsy King’s sparring injury led to cancellation and subsequent postponement to May. Both sides have seemingly been preparing hard for the big bout. Neither side can afford to lose what could be the severest test in their professional careers. However, during a conversation with his promoter, Frank Warren, Tyson Fury revealed a nagging catch afflicting his training camp.

Tyson Fury: Tremble Before Rumble?

Queensbury Promotions, who promote Fury, updated a message on his X handle: “The Gypsy King admits being frightened of one thing ahead of the Usyk fight. Could this play a factor in the undisputed clash?” An attached clip showed the WBC heavyweight champion in serious conversation with Frank Warren, the Queensbury honcho. “I’m actually frightened of where I’m at the moment. And that’s a fact. I won’t lie to you. I’m actually terrified. Of where I’m at the moment,” said ‘The Gypsy King’. 

Then, elaborating a bit, Fury shared that, as far as readiness goes, if required, he is ready to rumble by the end of this week itself. But the reality is that he has around five weeks in hand. Quoting his trainer, Sugar Hill Steward, the world champion said, “So, like Sugar said, the thing is not doing tons of training, but it’s to do less.”

He stated that he was basically prepared for the fight. However, there’s a chance that if he reaches the zenith, the high point of his training, physical fitness, and conditioning, there remains a chance of him going down with some sort of illness. If that happens, then the entire campaign will go for a toss.

Path to Glory

To many, Tyson Fury’s confession must have come across as a bit surprising. However, given the gravity of the upcoming fight, he has to keep tabs on his physical and mental preparedness. His last fight was against former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou. Making his professional boxing debut on October 28, the Cameroonian-French mixed martial artist shocked the world with a dazzling performance. It saw him send ‘The Gypsy King’ down to the canvas in the third round. Fury had scraped through the match to win it by a split decision.

Usyk, on the other hand, landed safely with a knockout win over Daniel Dubois when they met in August last year. The match had a controversial moment. However, the Ukrainian managed to pull through the title defense to retain his contention for fighting Tyson Fury.

Between Fury and Usyk, who is your favorite to win on May 18? Let us know in the comments below.

Also Read: Oleksandr Usyk’s Weakness Puts Tyson Fury’s Trainer on High Alert