THE sycophancy was all too much for Oleksandr Usyk’s manager Egis Klimas. From former sparring partners, promoters and even the man whose vision created this two-fight series, Turki Alalshikh, virtually everyone expressed their desire to see Tyson Fury avenge his career-first defeat this weekend, bringing glory back to Britain. The 60-year-old had heard enough.
“As you just heard a couple of minutes ago, we’re all for Tyson. Tyson, we’re all together. In May here, Usyk proved to the whole world when he became undisputed world champion. We as a team already fought, had nothing else to prove.
“We did everything, he never fought at home… in the UK, United States, in Riyadh, always on the road. Now, we’re coming here and have to prove again? No problem. We will see on Saturday night, who Oleksandr Usyk is.”
Since scoring a seventh-round stoppage win over Pedro Julio Rodriguez to make a third defence of the WBO Inter-Continental cruiserweight title this month nine years ago, Usyk has boxed exclusively outside his native Ukraine.
Rather than lobby for more favourable conditions, as he racked up world title victories across seven nations and two weight divisions, the 37-year-old wears this distinction like a badge of honour – beating opposition away from home and often in their home country adds another layer to the legend.
So while a dozen-strong set of backing vocalists played their part to make his arrival on stage a bit more regal, with pomp and ceremony, Usyk remained the same. Promoter and decade-long friend Alex Krassyuk translated for him, but there wasn’t much work to do. “Now we just have the performance, show, camera, lights… everything will take place on the 21st.”
His head trainer, Sergey Lapin, echoed Klimas’ sentiments by saying everyone would again see why Usyk is the champion on Saturday. Looking largely disinterested throughout, he cracked a brief smile upon hearing this and will be psychologically boosted knowing what he must do to beat Fury a second time.
“Don’t be afraid, I will not leave you alone, see you on Saturday,” came the eerie reply once more from Fury’s latest foe, who some have previously suggested could well be his kryptonite.
The sight of the Ukrainian stalking Fury around the ring, instinctively forcing him to box at an uncomfortably high intensity and making him – like so many others – wilt in the second half of their first contest remains fresh in the memory. So as much as the Brit dismissed his narrow defeat as self-inflicted, he knows he can’t afford to give Usyk anything this time around.
The record-breaking 11-minute faceoff between them was uncomfortable and did little to dissuade observers from favouring a noticeably more intense Fury after the jovial giant’s antics first time around were punished. Many adversaries have left ruing their decision to engage in mind games with The Gypsy King, this defending unified world champion is an exception.
He held his nerve, maintained composure and could even afford to dance with locals moments after a draining scene that saw neither willing to blink first or back down in a stubborn show of machismo playing out to millions worldwide. Fury fumed, Usyk smirked and drew first blood in an immediate rematch between this generation’s two best heavyweight boxers.
