Fury Ducks Usyk, Fight Fans Say

After moving the goalpost multiple times in negotiations, Fury has left the Ukrainian hero with no choice but to decline the match. Many believe that Fury basically declined the match due to a lack of self belief. Fury has famously struggled with a fragile mental state, eventually somehow coming out of one of his many retirements, getting into unbelievable shape, losing all his head hair, and developing late career knockout power.

Tyson Fury Controversy

Despite the cluster of anomalies that cling to his professional career, Fury enjoys the support of the mainstream boxing media in the United States. From an outside perspective, it might be perplexing why the sports media in the US would’ve done everything they could years ago to eschew Deontay “The Bronze Bomber” Wilder in favor of Tyson Fury. 

But many fight fans in the US are completely aware of the level of bias focused uniquely on Black fighters throughout its boxing history. As the public witnesses more and more evidence of the machinations of domestic and international white supremacist conspiracies, The Deontay Wilder story reminds us that boxing in the US is uniquely intertwined with the US’ inherently racist social structure.

Still, it was shocking for some to see outlets with the most international visibility happily denounce their own Black fighter, a reigning heavyweight champion, for a foreigner who could be sold as a White fighter by promoters and media.

Usyk vs. Fury

Although there were always suspicions, the hum of Tyson Fury’s suspicious unorthodoxy has grown to a blatant roar. If Oleksandr Usyk had weaknesses to exploit, Fury’s actions tell us that he’d likely  be chomping at the bit for an easy victory. But there don’t appear to be any easy routes with Usyk. Sure, he’s small for a modern heavyweight, but he’s mastered the style of the small man. Like Gervonta Davis consistently pulls off, Oleksandr Usyk will be forced to turn his apparent size disadvantage into an advantage.

Usyk is a consummate technician who has shown almost superhuman conditioning and Errol Spence-like determination. 

Fury, on the other hand, will need to use his hulking size to his advantage.  Fury at 6’9″ usually has a massive size advantage and knows how to use his weight. He also has an incredible 85″ reach and is known to throw really weird looking punches at times. 

After being banned by the BBB of C for using performance enhancing drugs and subsequently being exiled to the US, Fury received plenty of support despite being the dirtiest fighter Eddie Cotton had ever refereed in over 250 professional fights. Eddie Cotton has seen it all, and Tyson Fury is dirtier than any other fighter you’ve ever heard of. Although it doesn’t seem to be outside of the realm of possibility that Tyson Fury would try some level of rule breaking, it remains to be seen how the battle-hardened Ukrainian will cope with Fury’s veteran tactics.

Featured Image Credits: Tyson Fury via Fox Sports AU