Tyson Fury tipped the scales for his rematch against unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk at 281 pounds. Since he was fully clothed, is it more mind games than bulk?
‘The Gypsy King’ weighed in in Riyadh with a leather jacket on top of his normal clothes, meaning he won’t be the full 281 in the ring come Saturday night. He is certainly heavier than the first fight, for which he was 262.
Per the official numbers, Fury has just under 50lbs on Usyk, who also weighed in dressed at 226. It has fans, fighters and pundits predicted that the big Brit is coming to impose himself on the slick Ukrainian and look to end the fight inside the distance.
Speaking to Matchroom Boxing live from the weigh in, former world champion Amir Khan said that won’t be easy, though he still backs Fury to win.
“Both guys look ready. It’s gonna be a massive fight tomorrow. I wish them both all the very best. I do lean more towards Fury winning the fight but, like I said, it’s gonna be hard.
I’ve just realised that Fury’s come the heaviest he’s ever come for a fight. He’s gonna push [Usyk] back, meaning he’s gonna have Usyk on the pedal. Yeah it’s [easier said than done against Usyk] because he hits those angles so well and catches you with small shots. They might not be hard but a lot of them will start causing you damage.”
It was Fury who was put on the back and significantly hurt in the first fight back in May when Usyk ran out a split decision points winner. If he manages to reverse a result, fans can expect a trilogy bout to settle the score.
