By Ian S Palmer
Original article; https://www.sportsbetlistings.com/boxing/oleksandr-usyk-vs-tyson-fury-betting-odds-and-prediction-2/26007/
Former Undisputed Cruiserweight and Heavyweight Champion Oleksandr Usyk of Ukraine will be putting his WBO, IBO, WBA (Super) and WBC Heavyweight Titles on the line against former unified champion Tyson Fury of England this Saturday, December 21st. The rematch from Saudi Arabia can be seen live in most nations on various pay-per-view platforms. The two boxers first met in May with the unbeaten Usyk winning a split decision to take Fury’s WBC Belt, which he won in 2020 by stopping Deontay Wilder. Usyk won his belts in 2021 with a unanimous decision over Anthony Joshua and then beat him via split decision on their rematch and then stopped Daniel Dubois in August of last year.
The 37-year-old Usyk is a 6-foot-3-inch southpaw with a reach of 78 inches who turned pro back in 2013 and has boxed 189 rounds since. He unified the cruiserweight titles in July, 2018 in the final of the World Boxing Super Series when he beat Murat Gassiev by unanimous decision. He became the first man ever to hold the WBO, IBF, WBA and WBC Cruiserweight Belts at the same time. He was the WBO and WBC champ when he beat Gassiev, who was then the IBF and WBA champ. Usyk, who owns a perfect record of 22-0 with 14 Ko’s, had also won the WBO Title by beating Krzysztof Glowacki by unanimous decision in September, 2016.
He defended it against Thabiso Mchunu with a ninth-round stoppage three months later and against Michael Hunter in April, 2017. He then stopped Marco Huck in 10 rounds before taking the WBC title from Mairis Briedis by majority decision in January, 2018 and defended all of the cruiserweight belts against Tony Bellew in his last fight in the weight division. Since then he’s laid claim to most of the heavyweight belts with his wins over Anthony Joshua, which came by unanimous decision in 2021 and split decision a year later. He also beat Dereck Chisora at heavyweight by unanimous decision for the WBO Inter-Continental Heavyweight crown.
Usyk has better-than-average power as his current knockout ratio stands at 63.6 per cent, but he’s been taken the distance in eight of his last 13 outings. Before halting Daniel Dubois, his last stoppage came in 2019 when he stopped Chazz Witherspoon in the seventh round in Usyk’s heavyweight debut. The opponents who went the distance with him have been Fury, Joshua (twice), Chisora, Gassiev, Hunter, Glowacki and Briedis. Usyk enjoyed an excellent amateur career as he competed at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China and then won the gold medal in the heavyweight division at the 2012 Games in London. He also won bronze and gold at World Amateur Championship tournaments in 2009 and 2011 respectively.
The 36-year-old Fury of Manchester, is best known for his controversial trilogy against Deontay Wilder (two wins and a draw) and his only other true moment of glory as a pro boxer which came in November, 2015 when he upset an aging Wladimir Klitschko by unanimous decision to win the IBF, WBO, IBO, WBA and lineal world titles. However it was arguably the worst heavyweight title fight in history. After beating Klitschko, Fury was soon stripped of his belts and suspended for drug use, but did still lay claim to the lineal heavyweight crown as well as the WBC version when Usyk beat him.
Fury is one of the bigger heavyweights out there as he stands 6-feet-9-inches tall with a wingspan of 85 inches which gives him six inches in height and seven inches in reach on Usyk. He’ll enter the ring with a mark of 34-1-1 with 24 Ko’s and has 242 rounds under his belt since turning pro in 2008 following a good amateur career. He also owns better-than-average power as 70.6 per cent of his wins have come by way of stoppage but has gone the distance in six of his last 12 outings. Fury possesses good, but awkward and unconventional boxing skills and has been been dropped by Usyk, Steve Cunningham, Neven Pajkic, Francis Ngannou and Wilder during his career which makes his chin a slight question mark.
Fury’s biggest wins were definitely against Wilder and Klitschko but Klitschko basically gave his titles away by not engaging with him. Other than that, he’s also beaten some pretty good journeymen along the way such as Chisora, Whyte, Francesco Pianeta, Otto Wallin, Christian Hammer, Joey Abell, Cunningham, Kevin Johnson, Marcelo Luiz Nascimento and Vinny Maddalone. Since turning pro Fury has also captured the English, Commonwealth, British, Irish, European, WBO Inter-Continental and WBO International Heavyweight Titles.
Prediction…
Fury has the edge in size and arguably power, but Usyk is the owner of the better boxing skills and showed he has the power to drop Fury. In fact, referee Mark Nelson arguably took a stoppage victory away from Usyk in round nine of the first fight when he had Fury in serious trouble and ruled a knockdown when the ropes kept him upright. At that point Usyk was likely just a punch or two away from finishing him. However, the problem is keeping Fury on the canvas as he has a habit of getting up just before the count reaches 10. If you have him in trouble you need to make sure you don’t let him off the hook like Wilder and Ngannou did. Fury will once again try to use his size and lean on Usyk with his weight while Usyk needs to get close enough to utilize his skills, land telling blows and then get out of range. He needs to be aware of Fury’s uppercut but if Usyk is at his best again and has the right tactics in place he should be able to adapt to whatever Fury brings to the table. I’m expecting another interesting and dramatic fight and believe Usyk will retain his belts on Saturday Night via a win or draw.
