Home Boxing News Frank Warren says Oleksandr Usyk vs Tyson Fury II will be even...

Frank Warren says Oleksandr Usyk vs Tyson Fury II will be even better than the original

Oleksandr Usyk vs Tyson Fury

Frank Warren has confirmed that a rematch between Tyson Fury 34-1-1 (24) and undisputed heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk 22-0 (14) will indeed take place.

Briton Fury, 35, entered the ring at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia as the WBC champion last Saturday night but left beltless after Ukrainian southpaw Usyk, 37, lifted his bauble and added it to his WBA, WBO, IBF and Ring Magazine championships via split decision.

Fury boxed well early but the fight was turned on its head in the ninth round when former undisputed cruiserweight champion Usyk rocked his opponent so severely that only the ropes were holding him up, prompting referee Mark Nelson to administer a mandatory eight count.

Fury survived to see out the bout, but lost by scores of 113-114 and 114-113, 112-115. Without the knockdown, the fight would’ve been scored a draw.

After the bout Fury indicated that he would enact his rematch clause, with the return bout likely to take place in October.

Fury’s co-promoter Warren confirmed that is what they are targeting next, adding that the two boxers’ familiarity with each other will make for an even better fight than the first.

“There will be a rematch. I think it will be better than the original fight,” the Queensberry Promotions boss said to the BBC.

“They both know each other, they’ve shared the ring and they’ll be looking to use what they’ve gained from the fight as an advantage to beat their opponent.”

With the IBF poised to strip Usyk of their title for failing to face their number one contender Filip Hrgovic, it looks like there will be three sanctioning body titles on the line for the second go-round rather than four.

That doesn’t matter to Fury, says Warren. He is out for revenge.

“Of course, he [Fury] wants to win and he’s got to win,” Warren said.

“He’s only asking for the rematch because he thinks he can win. He believes in himself and it would cement his legacy.

“Everyone out there thinks Usyk is the best out there so let’s see what Tyson does. He rang me and he said he wants the rematch so here we are.”

One interested observer has been Eddie Hearn, who promotes Fury’s British rival and former two-time unified heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua 28-3 (25).

“As much as I want AJ to fight the winner or loser of that fight, the rematch is massive,” the Matchroom Boxing chief said to Boxing Social.

“They’re both already signed up for it. I’m sure it has to be exercised by the loser, but Fury should be taking that rematch straight away. Can he beat him again? Who knows?

“Those types of fights take a lot out of a fighter. Tyson Fury was absolutely gone in the ninth. His power of recoveries are quite powerful because when he went back to his corner, everyone went, ‘it’s over’, and he came out for the 10th, not as a new man, but massively recovered. So massive respect to him.

“Yeah, you should want to run that back. But Usyk was gone when he finished the fight. Not as of hurt, but exhausted. To win that fight, he had to fight at a ferocious pace.”