Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury meet again this month in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The heavyweights initially clashed back in May to crown the first undisputed champion of the division in over two decades. It was Ukraine’s Usyk who came out on top that night via split decision, a big deciding factory being an incredible ninth round in which he looked close to stopped ‘The Gypsy King.’
It was a result that the oldest heavyweight world champion in history, George Foreman, had predicted to Boxing Scene beforehand.
“Tyson Fury has met his match … All [Usyk] has to do is … if he’s smart enough to win the first round, then the second round. … OK, maybe you can give up the fourth round … but then go back up and win another round.
“It gets to where he’s not worried about anything other than winning it on points. He’s a solid fighter. He can take a punch. Fury’s in tough. So unless the judges are the best judges money can buy, [Usyk] should win.”
Things did indeed transpire that way. What of the rematch? ‘Big George’ was asked at the time if a return fight would be any different. He said ‘sure.’
“Sure, because Fury will know then that now he can lose. It makes for a different fight – how you train, how you get into shape. For real. Go back to the way [Fury] fought [long-reigning heavyweight champion Wladimir] Klitschko [in 2015].
“He fought Klitschko to a stand-still. And that’s the way you’ve got to fight [Usyk].”
Foreman’s second prediction will be put to the test on December 21, this time for just three of the four major heavyweight titles.
