The ex-undisputed heavyweight champion of the world, Lennox Lewis, predicts Tyson Fury will pose a different test to Ukraine’s Oleksandr Usyk as he warns the Gypsy King will be better prepared for their Saturday, December 21 clash.
The 36-year-old Brit received his first professional loss when he challenged for all of the heavyweight belts on May 18, and was almost knocked out in the ninth round after being rocked by his opponent.
Otherwise, it was a solid display from the 6ft 9in giant but far from his best ever showings such as against Vladimir Klitschko in late 2015 or Deontay Wilder in early 2020, which he attributed to a lack of preparation alongside politics connected to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
So as Fury jets out to Saudi Arabia in his quest to win the WBO, WBC and WBA belts from Usyk after possibly losing his only chance to ever become an undisputed champion, Lewis expects he will not repeat the mistakes of the Spring of 2024 and will leave nothing on the table.
“Let me tell you my mindset in coming into a rematch. It is basically, ‘What did I do wrong the first time,'” Lewis told BoxingScene of his own preparations. “I’ll be looking at tape and saying, ‘Okay, what could I have done better?’
“And for Tyson Fury, what he could have done better is win the first few rounds. He basically was on his toes the first few rounds and I felt he gave those rounds away. And he wasn’t as serious as I’ve seen him in other fights.
“So, all of a sudden when you lose, all that goes through your mind is like, ‘What can I do that I didn’t do the first time?’ And that’s what’s on his mind – he’s going to improve on his boxing, he’s going to get in better shape. And there was a couple of things holding him back as well.”
Fury looks to emulate Lewis
The 59-year-old British-Canadian boxer avenged both the defeats he suffered in his career by knocking out Olivier McCall in 1997 and Hasim Rahman in 2001, and was the last undisputed champion until 2024.
He also earned victories over Evander Holyfield, Mike Tyson and Vitali Klitschko and is regarded as one of the best heavyweights ever, and in some circles as the last great fighter from the 1970s-1990s era.
Fury will look to follow in those footsteps by avenging the only career loss he has ever suffered, and in doing so will become a heavyweight champion for the third time in his career after taking the belts from Klitschko and Wilder.
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