Tyson Fury Fighting Two Battles on Saturday– Versus Usyk and Versus Narrative

When Tyson Fury steps into the ring this Saturday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, he’ll be fighting two battles– one against Oleksandr Usyk, the man who decisioned him seven months ago to become unified heavyweight champ, and the other against the narrative built around Usyk after his compelling performance in that bout.

You see, in the nuts-and-bolts real world, Usyk took a close split decision in a bout that, if not for one spectacular surge in one round, could’ve easily gone Fury’s way. Some would argue that even WITH that spectacular surge, Fury might’ve done enough to deserve a razor-thin decision.

For most of the first eight rounds of the bout, Fury owned things. He was moving, controlling the distance, and even hurting Usyk with uppercuts and body shots. At one point, it looked like just a matter of time before he took the Ukrainian out.

Then, the tide turned, dramatically.

After a strong finish to the eighth round, Usyk hurt Fury with a big left hand in the final minute of the ninth and followed that up with a barrage of punches that rocked “The Gypsy King” and sent him bouncing from ropes to ropes. Arguments could be made regarding the timing of the called knockdown and whether the fight should’ve been stopped. But, fortunately, referee Mark Nelson erred on the side of letting the fighters fight to full resolution, and the bout went on.

After that, the tide had indeed turned. But, actually, not as much as raving fans basking in the glow of a great moment would lead one to believe.

From the tenth round on, things were pretty even. Usyk never hurt Fury again and Fury finished the fight with a pretty decent twelfth round (he won the round on all three judges’ scorecards).

In the final tally, there were two fairly even rounds in the beginning, followed by five where Fury was clearly in charge and an eighth that could’ve gone to either fighter, then three clear Usyk rounds, then a Fury twelfth. The fight was extremely close and could’ve realistically gone either way.

In a boxing world powered by emotion and after-the-fact narrative, however, Usyk’s win has been re-painted as dominant and, coming into Saturday’s rematch, the Ukraine native may already be up on the scorecards before a single punch is thrown.

As this writer noted in his Usyk-Fury I recap at FightHype.com:

“Never underestimate the role of psychology in boxing– both in the actual fight and in how fans/media digest the outcome of a fight. Fury is a shit head coming off an embarrassing showing against former UFC champ/boxing novice Francis Ngannou, as well as some other nonsense. Usyk and his story are beloved. Usyk also had the highlight reel moment of the bout.

I understand the overwhelming feeling that Usyk won. Watch the fight again in a couple weeks, though. after the buzz and emotion wear off, and re-score it. If you’re honest with yourself, you may be surprised at what you see when you do the re-tally.

…Usyk, in many circles, is washed over by such a wave of gushingly positive, ‘he can do no wrong’ warm-fuzzy positivity…There’s almost a desperate mythology draped over the guy, a cult-like fandom that cried for nearly three full weeks at the suggestion that he may have been hurt by a body shot against Daniel Dubois.”

Anything that pushes back against the Usyk idolatry is seen as “hate” and as a petty refusal to give the man his just due.

Boxing judges are just fallible human being, also washed over by the same waves of sentiment and subject to the crackling zeitgeist powering public opinion. It would be ridiculous to think that Usyk’s glorious victory, juxtaposed against the perception that an arrogant, slothful Fury fell apart under Usyk’s heroism, won’t have an effect on the rematch.

If Fury wants to walk away with the four heavyweight belts this Saturday (and that garish “undisputed” Saudi-designed belt), he’ll have to deliver the performance of his career– a flawless masterpiece where, maybe, a knockout is a necessity– against a legitimately great, Hall of Fame-caliber opponent.

Is this too much to ask of a Tyson Fury who’s focus has seemed to be wavering in recent years? Maybe.