28 October 2023 , 09:16
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Tyson Fury has questioned whether even Oleksandr Usyk will be able to test his credentials as the best heavyweight of his generation.
Assuming he emerges unscathed from his crossover fight with Francis Ngannou tonight, Fury will take on fellow world champion Usyk back in Saudi Arabia on December 23. The winner will be crowned the division's first undisputed champion since Lennox Lewis in 1999.
But Fury insists he is not losing sleep over facing the former undisputed cruiserweight world champion who holds two wins over Anthony Joshua. "Is he any better than the rest of these people really?" Fury mused. "I’m not sure if he is. He had a 50-50 fight with Derek Chisora; did you not see that? Did you see my fights with Chisora? All three of them.
“I know styles make fights and you can look at the way George Foreman despatched Joe Frazier and then Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier had those great fights. But if you look at what those guys did – even Daniel Dubois had a lot of success against Usyk. Without being rude to those guys, they are little more than heavy bags on legs – walking forwards.
"Even AJ, he had a lot of opportunity and he didn’t do anything. He just walked forward with his hands up round his head, terrified of what was coming back and he didn’t use his advantages. Do you really think after all these years of knowing me that I’m going to go in there and be happy to lose on points with my guard up like that saying, ‘Oh my God, what do I do?’ Please. I was right when I predicted what would happen against Wladimir Klitschko too. Bang on. I know boxing like Mr Kipling knows cakes."
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Fury will at least face a much tougher task against Usyk than he will against former UFC champion Ngannou who is making his boxing debut. "He couldn't beat me if he had a machete and a nine-millimetre gun in his hands," Fury added. "How is he going to beat me, please! It's alright me saying this is a 50-50 fight, is it bollocks a 50-50 fight.
"I'm going to take him to school and I'm going to show him what a right hand feels like. He's going to be like, 'Oh my God, did I just get knocked out?' I intend to punish him for a little while, enjoy it, and put on a show then bang, chin him. He might be as tough as bricks, he's never been stopped, but he's never been hit by a proper boxing puncher."