Tyson Fury has to believe he’ll be better if he’s heavier.
On Friday in Riyadh, Fury weighed in at a whopping 281 pounds ahead of his rematch on Saturday against WBA, WBO, and WBC heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk.
With Usyk weighing in at 226 pounds, Fury has an eye-popping 55-pound weight advantage—or disadvantage—against his rival in their rematch.
Fury’s size is a humongous leap up from what he weighed in May when the two men clashed for the undisputed heavyweight championship. In the first fight, Fury weighed 262 pounds, outweighing Usyk by a sizable 39 pounds.
The 281 pounds is the largest Fury has ever been in his 36-fight professional career.
“I’m pretty lean,” Fury told ESPN. “Other than the big beard, I’m doing well. I’m in good shape and I’m fit as a fiddle. I’ll be ready for Saturday night.”
What does this tell us about Fury’s game plan in the rematch?
While it’s not certain, it appears Fury is looking to impose his will physically on Usyk and preparing to knock the champion out. This concept seemingly aligns with what Fury has been saying all fight week.
He’s only spoken about hurting Usyk and taking the decision out of the hands of the judges. Traditionally, when a heavyweight elects to come in on the heavier side, it’s because they have designs on delivering punishment.
On Usyk’s side, he is in similar shape to what he was for the first fight. The former undisputed cruiserweight champion weighed 223 pounds for the first fight. At that weight, he proved to be the fresher and more effective fighter late in the first meeting.
Will that be the case in the rematch?
It stands to reason—unless Saturday’s fight doesn’t go the distance. Usyk has traditionally outworked his heavyweight opponents. His work rate has been tough for opponents to keep pace with and you have to wonder if it’ll be any different for Fury–especially at nearly 300 pounds.
The weight storyline, added to the relaunch of Ring Magazine and accompanied by the presence of two up-and-coming young heavyweights like Moses Itauma and Johnny Fisher, makes Saturday in Riyadh a special event for boxing, and more specifically, the heavyweight division.
In case you’ve missed it, here is a look at the entire card:
- Oleksandr Usyk (c) vs. Tyson Fury
- Moses Itauma vs. Demsey McKean
- Johnny Fisher vs. Dave Allen
- Dennis McCann vs. Peter McGrail
- Isaac Lowe vs. Lee McGregor
Be on the lookout for coverage of the fight, Itauma and Fischer’s results as well as the reactions to Usyk-Fury from the boxing community.
