Despite not being involved promotionally in an undisputed heavyweight title fight, Eddie Hearn will have a keen eye on the outcome in order to get his charge, Anthony Joshua, well-positioned for an attempt at becoming a three-time champion.
The fight between Tyson Fury, who holds the WBC title, and Oleksandr Usyk, who has the WBA, IBF, and WBO straps, is expected to be made for March next year. Both champions are undefeated and known for presenting a puzzle in the ring that seems impossible to solve. Will Fury’s sheer size and strength be the deciding factor? Or will the speed of the smaller man in Usyk be too tough to handle?
Hearn made his prediction to Intu Boxing.
“I got criticism on that because I said I don’t think it’s a great fight, as in would be a great fight, but I think it’s a compelling fight. You’ve got two very awkward, tricky customers. For a hardcore boxing fan I think it would be fascinating, but they wouldn’t just start knocking lumps out of each other.”
“I probably give the edge to Tyson Fury because of his size. I just feel like I’ve always overlooked him in fights, like [Wladimir] Klitschko, [Deontay] Wilder, so I should give him the respect that he deserves. But I do think Usyk is very tough to beat.”
Whilst he says that the fight may not appeal to a more casual audience, it’s worth remembering that ‘The Gypsy King’ has come with a different style for his last few fights – that of the Kronk gym, Detroit. Alongside trainer SugarHill Steward, he seems to be seeking knockouts much more so than before. Whether or not he can land on the Ukrainian known as ‘The Cat’ is another question entirely.