WBC heavyweight titleholder Tyson Fury 34-0-1 (24) has laughed off the news that retired former for Wladimir Klitschko has been offering advice WBA, WBO, IBF and Ring Magazine champion Oleksandr Usyk 21-0 (14) ahead of their undisputed championship clash at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on May 18.
Ukrainian southpaw Usyk, 37, recently revealed he had discussed the upcoming bout with his countryman Klitschko, who lost his world titles on points to Britain’s Fury, 35, nine years ago.
“That would be very good advice, wouldn’t it? How to lose to the Gypsy King?” Fury said at a press conference held in his hometown of Morecambe. “How can Wlad, my old mate, give anyone advice? He would have used it himself, wouldn’t he, if he had any idea how to beat me?
“It was a one-sided boxing lesson that I gave to old Wlad and he was a very good champion, just like this guy [Usyk].
“I said back then that if I can’t beat Wlad I must be useless. Again, I will say it again, ‘If I can’t be Usyk, then I must be no good’. That’s your headline. ‘If Tyson Fury can’t beat Usyk, he is no good.’ End of [story] because there is no point in pulling any punches about it.”
But it wasn’t all bluster from Fury, who admitted Usyk was a well credentialed fighter deserving of respect.
“It’s not personal. It’s strictly business for both fighters. There’s a lot of stuff on the line, but I don’t hate him. I respect him as a man and as a fighter,” Fury said.
“Anyone would have to respect the man’s achievements. He’s the unified heavyweight champion and the undisputed cruiserweight champion.
Fury added that size does matter and the six-foot-nine, 270-pound boxer expects it to come into play against the six-foot-three, 220-pound Usyk.
“We have weight divisions for a reason. When the cruiserweights step up to the big boys, they are usually found wanting. You can beat the average big ones, but you can’t beat the elite big ones because size really matters,” said Fury.
“These are facts.”
Regardless of the result, Fury is expected to go directly into a rematch with Usyk before a possible bout with longtime rival Anthony Joshua 28-3 (25) next year.
Fury, who has often oscillated between retirement and world domination, was adamant about his future on Wednesday.
“I’ve studied this game all my life,” he said. “This is my time, my destiny, my era and my generation. Facts.”
Meanwhile, Usyk told Seconds Out last week that he was focused on one thing and one thing only.
“If I can do a KO, I will, if I can do 12 rounds, I do 12 rounds. My goal is to win. How it will be, it’s God’s will,” Usyk said.
“My strategy is win. Enough.”
