Oleksandr Usyk will target Tyson Fury’s cut, warns promoter Frank Warren.
Fury and Usyk were due to box for the undisputed heavyweight world championship earlier this year. But their contest had to be postponed when Fury suffered a cut in sparring.
They will now fight for the unified WBC, WBA, WBO and IBF titles on May 18, live on Sky Sports Box Office.
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Queensberry Promotions promoter Frank Warren gives his thoughts about the upcoming fight between Fury and Usyk and a potential clash between Fury and Anthony Joshua
Usyk could look to reopen that cut when he takes on Fury. That’s what the Ukrainian is expected to attempt to do.
“Well, I would,” Frank Warren told Sky Sports. “Of course he will [try to do that].”
But Warren, who co-promotes Fury, doesn’t believe Usyk will be able to derail the WBC champion.
“He had a worse cut against [Otto] Wallin,” the promoter pointed out. “Tyson had a dreadful cut in that fight and won the fight convincingly with a bad cut, a real bad cut.”
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Fury has repeatedly shown his ability to deal with a crisis, rising for instance from knockdowns against both Deontay Wilder and Francis Ngannou more recently to preserve his unbeaten record.
“He’s got plan A, plan B and a plan C and more important, he’s got a big heart,” Warren said.
If anyone is going to take advantage of a vulnerability in this fight, he is convinced it will be Fury.
“One thing about Tyson, if he senses a crack or sees any weakness, he’s the biggest exploiter of it and that’s why it’s going to be such an exciting fight,” Warren said.
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Relive the moment when Francis Ngannou shocked the boxing world when he knocked down Fury in 2023
“On the other hand, Usyk might feel from the Ngannou fight there are some things that he can exploit and I’m sure he will. He’s a competitor.
“He’s a competitor from amateur days right up until the present day. He’s done everything that’s been asked of him.”
But Warren believes Fury will hurt Usyk to the body: “His Achilles’ heel, as I’ve said, and I’m surprised the so-called experts never picked up on it, has always been his body. Daniel Dubois, that’s what he was trained for, to go and exploit that and he nearly pulled it off.”
He is tipping Fury to win inside the distance.
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Speaking on Toe2Toe, Warren had a strong response to the conspiracy theories surrounding the rescheduling of Fury vs Usyk
“I think Tyson will knock him out,” Warren said. “Like I predicted he would knock out Wilder in the second fight. I really fancy him to do that.
“I think he’ll stop him but I think it going to be a real, real exciting fight while it lasts.
“You’ve got two undefeated fighters, the best of their generation and we’ll find out who is the real deal on the 18th.”
Watch Fury vs Usyk live on Sky Sports Box Office on May 18.
