After watching Tyson Fury come off second best twice against a much better Oleksandr Usyk, the fact that a third instalment is being talked about (possibly for April 2026), I think is a bit pointless to be honest.
Usyk is in his prime – there’s no doubt about it and Fury (I do like the guy), appears to be fading – he’s not the fighter he once was – Usyk has exposed his weaknesses twice now.
No doubt, Fury would train hard, but I would be very surprised if this made a difference and Usyk seems completely immune to Fury’s mind games that have been so successful previously against other fighters.
Is This What The Fans Want?
I’m not exactly sure this is the fight that everyone wants – it could be so one-sided and it would be a shame for Fury to go out like this (again) against a fighter who is in the form of his life.
Personally, I think Anthony Joshua would make a much more intriguing proposition for fans and the hype in the build-up would be exciting.
Usyk is beating everyone right now – he’s just swept Daniel Dubois aside again and he’d be champing at the bit to make it a clean sweep against Fury – who for me, I would back to beat Dubois anyway.
Though, there is somewhat of a nostalgic feeling about Fury – Joshua. Of course, Fury has easily beaten him before, though he’s started to wane recently and I think it could be more of a balanced fight.
Unsurprisingly though, Fury is more motivated by the Usyk trilogy than reopening his old rivalry with Joshua – Usyk is the best in the world right now and Fury knows that this will get more eyes on screens and attract a bigger crowd than if he was fighting Joshua.
Also, Fury is a showman, he also knows the pressure will be off, so it could be an interesting fight in that regard so we may see a surprise. It could make for the biggest bow out in boxing in recent times and would inflict what would likely be Usyk’s first defeat on him.
Could It Be Fury’s Final Fight?
You just never know with Fury do you? He has come out of retirement before and he may just do it again. Though, there is no doubt that age isn’t on his side, regardless of how in shape he is trying to stay.
I don’t think I’d ever get bored of watching him – he is an entertainer, though if he loses again, he would need to call time permanently, unless he could see Joshua as a realistic option to go out on a positive note. I definitely think that could be the litmus test for this.
If he wins, he may decide to go out on a high and hang up his gloves – as might Usyk. Currently, the Ukrainian has comfortably beaten every major boxer at least twice. Watch this space.