Billy Joe Saunders will join Tyson Fury‘s training camp for Oleksandr Usyk as the former heavyweight champion works towards a much-anticipated rematch.
Back in May, Fury took his first professional loss against the Ukrainian and, in December, he is hoping to avenge the result and lift three of the four major world titles.
Fury said after the first fight, which he lost via split decision, that he got complacent in the ring and took his foot off the gas, allowing Usyk to get the better of him, particularly in the ninth round when he was caught with a big shot that sent him to the ropes before ultimately receiving a ten count.
Speaking to talkSPORT, Saunders suggested something was missing in sparring preparations for the last camp which hampered Fury’s preparations, but made no excuses for the loss.
“I’m not making any excuses for him, but I know what went on in camp and what didn’t go on in camp.
I know that, even when it came to sparring and other bits and bobs, there was stuff missing out of it that needs to be rectified this time.”
He then explained that Fury being on top early is not a good thing for him mentally.
“If he’s getting his own way early on, he tends to switch off. If he gets knocked out cold on the floor and people don’t think he’s getting up and he gets up, that’s when he switches his gears up. You’ve got to give him credit. I know there’s a lot of speculation about the ninth round, but he didn’t go down and he was still on his feet fighting.”
Saunders backed his old friend to get the job done the second time around and in emphatic fashion.
“I believe Tyson will win the next fight. And I believe that he will win by knockout as well.”
Should he manage to do that, many hope he will be able to face Anthony Joshua in a unification fight if ‘AJ’ can get through his own big night on September 21 against fellow Brit Daniel Dubois for the IBF title.
