Tyson Fury lost to Oleksandr Usyk because of his poor conditioning.
That is according to Dominic Ingle. Fury lost a split decision as Usyk became the Undisputed Heavyweight Champion. While it was close on the scorecards, most felt Usyk should have won a unanimous decision. Fury dominated the middle rounds, while Usyk was the stronger fighter in the earlier and backend rounds.
He almost knocked out Fury in round nine. But the referee to give a standing eight-count when the Ukrainian was one punch away from getting a stoppage. However, Ingle felt that it was Fury’s conditioning that hampered him. Fury looked gassed and unable to keep up with Usyk, which may have been the difference.
Ingle On Fury
“For me, Tyson wasn’t fit enough because in the rounds that he did get to the top side of Usyk, and there were two or three rounds in mid-fight where he had Usyk in trouble, it’s just a case of sustaining that for the rest of the fight. He couldn’t do it. So that means he wasn’t fit enough.
“Tyson Fury, he shouldn’t have got beat by Usyk because Tyson Fury at his best, and I don’t believe he was at his best, would have beaten Usyk. So, for me, he wasn’t fit enough. If you’re a lighter fighter like Usyk, that’s what you’ve got to do,” Ingle said
However, those comments neglect various other factors. Usyk was walking Fury down from the opening moments, as he repeatedly landed on the head/midsection. The Ukrainian was also in and out of range, using his footwork to create unorthodox angels, as the much bigger Fury had to move with that extra body weight. That played a part in Fury slowing down since he is not used to coming up against fighters with excellent footwork.
Fury’s Chances
Fury had also been training since the Francis Ngannou fight in October. The Usyk fight happened in May and was called off twice before it happened. Fury had plenty of time to work on his conditioning, with some even suggesting he never looked better when he came into the fight. His poor performance against Ngannou was blamed on poor preparation.
However, against Usyk, the Gypsy King was confident, saying he should retire if he came up short. The rematch makes it much more difficult for Fury to win. Usyk has now been in with Fury for 12 rounds, as the onus is on the Gypsy King to change tactics. If he decides to push Usyk back, he risks getting picked off, something Usyk is known for doing with his counterpunching. But if there is a better game plan than the first fight, Ingle saw a way for Fury to get success to avenge the only defeat of his career.
“Tyson, realistically, shouldn’t have been out on his feet against Usyk. He shouldn’t have gotten anywhere near him. With the height and reach Tyson’s got, he didn’t utilize it properly to keep him long and away,” Ingle stated.
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