Fury out for revenge in rematch against Usyk: Preview, match time | Boxing news

• When: Saturday 21st December 2024 – ring walks to the main event around 01:00 (22:00 GMT)
• Where: Kingdom Arena, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
• Professional Records (WLD): Fury (34-1-1), Unwell (22-0-0)
• Wins by knockout: Fury (24), Sick (14)
• Height: Fury – 206cm (6ft 9in), Usyk – 190cm (6ft 3in)
• Reach: Fury – 216cm (85in) Unsick – 197cm (78in)

Follow the match LIVE: Al Jazeera will run a live page of the build-up and text commentary from 18:00 GMT on Saturday 21st December.

At a media event a few weeks ago, Oleksandr Usyk asked Tyson Fury to sign a photo for him and the Englishman kindly obliged, although it turned out to be an unflattering photo of Usyk landing an overhand left punch to the jaw that distorted his senses in their last match in May.

The Ukrainian’s narrow victory in the thrilling contest in Riyadh made him the first undisputed heavyweight boxing champion in nearly 25 years and inflicted a first professional loss on Fury.

Back in Riyadh this week for the much-anticipated rematch, the humor and friendliness have dissipated.

“I’m going to be dishing out a whole lot of pain. I’m going to put this f***ing out of the hurt closet,” Fury, 36, said at the final media conference Thursday night.

When Fury was told that he had had a menacing edge all week, the usually mischievous fighter known as the Gypsy King replied:

“The talk is over. The first game I talked, I joked – my whole career (I’ve done that). This time I’m serious.”

Usyk, 37, was even more reticent.

“Now we just have a performance; the lectures, the cameras, the lights and the show,” he said. “Everything is going to happen on Saturday night.”

Given the option of a face-off in the final media conference before their final fight, Fury wouldn’t even look at Usyk, preferring instead to stare into the crowd.

This time they locked eyes and a bizarre gaze began to unfold. Several minutes passed in silence before they began trading barbs, Fury eventually offering insults and sweating under the lights. Face-off had time to move through phases: funny, boring, excruciating, endless. They were finally pulled away after the 11-minute mark.

That both men mean business is hardly surprising given what is at stake.

Martial arts commentator Sean Wheelock says that while Fury is “clearly one of the greatest heavyweights of this generation”, his rematch against Usyk is a “crossroads” fight for the British boxer.

“I don’t think he should retire (if he loses), but I don’t think he would be seen as being in the top tier, ‘elite of the elite’ level heavyweights. That’s why I think this fight is so crucial for him,” he told Al Jazeera.

While Fury has won five out of five of his rematches, Usyk – who moved up to heavyweight several years ago after becoming overall cruiserweight champion – is an undefeated enigma looking for a victory to cement his status as an all – time great.

‘Infinitely winnable’ fight for both men

Fury showed showboating in the first few rounds of their first fight, smoking and clowning in the corner of the ring and putting his hands behind his back as Usyk appeared to walk him down and the British fighter appeared to have taken control in the middle of the match. fighting, racking up rounds as you shower and whip uppercuts into the Ukrainian’s torso and jaw.

But the course of the fight changed in the eighth round when Usyk began to catch Fury and hit him with a brutal upper hand that bloodied his face. In the ninth round, Usyk landed a flurry of punches that sent Fury reeling around the ring with glazed eyes until he took a precarious fall against the ropes and was given a standing count by the referee.

Fury was saved by the bell and somehow recovered to reach the end of the bout, which Usyk won by split decision.

Martial arts analyst Luke Thomas told Al Jazeera he was surprised by how much Fury backed up in that fight, giving way to Usyk despite his considerable size and gaining advantages, allowing the Ukrainian to punish him against the ropes.

“When (Fury) was able to move forward in command of the center of the ring, he had a lot more success,” Thomas said.

He said Fury needs to get on the front foot in the second fight, throw a consistent amount of punches, make Usyk defend and prevent him from getting time to settle down.

“You have to count on (Usyk). He must be stuck in a downpour without an umbrella and try to find cover. And it’s a hard thing to do because it’s so labor intensive,” he said.

Fury told reporters this week that he wants to do less showboating and more punching in this fight.

Thomas says he needs to make his body shots more telling.

“Diseased has shown at least some susceptibility to the body,” he said.

All of this is, of course, easier said than done. While Fury has superb ringcraft and is wonderfully smooth and elusive for such a big man, many believe that Usyk is on another level.

Usyk’s fighting name is “The Cat”, due to his speed and agility. He pressures and torments his opponents, avoids punches and sets up his own devastating shots with exceptional footwork, head movement and a high guard.

“You’re dealing with a champion boxer who knows how to solve almost anything,” Thomas said. “Usyk is one of the best boxers I have ever seen. He is just so talented, he has so many answers. He has such an ability to adapt.”

While there is a huge amount of respect between the fighters, the Ukrainian also seems completely unfazed by Fury’s size or trash can.

Yet Usyk goes up against a dazzlingly skilled and courageous operator who has shown an almost supernatural ability to defy the odds and bounce back.

Fury won his first heavyweight titles in 2015 after outclassing the great Wladimir Klitschko, then bounced back from serious mental health issues and obesity to defeat knockout artist Deontay Wilder across an epic trilogy to win and retain the WBC belt. His ability to survive Usyk’s mid-fight attacks was also astounding.

Wheelock says the rematch is an “infinitely winnable fight for both men” and that whoever gains early momentum and establishes their range and rhythm is likely to win.

“Usyk has to start strong, he has to move, he has to show his speed dominance and he has to really land early and set the pace,” he said.

“And Fury has to land from the outside. He must early win Usyk’s respect by force. And he’s really got to find the long, hard, powerful punches.”

Scholarships at stake

Only three out of four belts will be up for grabs this time as the IBF stripped Usyk of not facing his mandatory challenger, Daniel Dubois, after Fury activated the rematch clause in his contract.

If Usyk wins, he could face the winner of Dubois vs Joseph Parker next, although he has also talked about returning to cruiserweight. If Fury wins, a trilogy with Usyk is almost certain.

Thomas says that while there is no doubt that another loss to Usyk would be “somewhat devastating” for Fury, it would not undo his achievements in the sport.

“I think what he was looking for was unequivocally to be the best of this generation, and therefore one of the best ever. It would elude him (if he loses), but I think there is no doubt he is still one of the best of this generation and still a special figure who has been an electrifying force in this heavyweight division,” he said.

He says that Usyk must already be considered one of the greatest of all time.

“He’s the first guy to unify the belts in the four-belt era,” he said. “These are literally historic accomplishments that would certainly put him in the conversation to be one of the best to ever do it.”