Usyk and Fury clash in heavyweight rematch with legacy and titles at stake

Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury will rekindle their rivalry on Saturday in Riyadh’s Kingdom Arena, with heavyweight glory and their places in boxing history on the line.

Usyk narrowly defeated Fury by split decision in May, handing the Briton his first professional loss and becoming the first undisputed heavyweight champion of the four-belt era. The Ukrainian enters the rematch calm and composed, while Fury, sporting a new beard, has oscillated between brooding silence and fiery outbursts.

Their intense 11-minute face-off on Thursday ended with Fury hurling insults, adding fuel to the already simmering anticipation for the bout, which returns to the 22,000-seat venue.

Usyk, 37, boasts a flawless 22-0 record with 14 knockouts. The southpaw’s agility, precision, and endurance make him especially dangerous in the later rounds, as seen in May when he floored Fury in the ninth.

Fury, 36, a natural-born boxer, enters at a career-heaviest 281 pounds, signaling an aggressive game plan against his smaller opponent. With a strong track record in rematches, Fury is determined to reclaim dominance and join the ranks of three-time heavyweight champions like Muhammad Ali and Lennox Lewis.

The prize purse reportedly stands at $190 million, with Usyk earning the lion’s share. Only the WBA, WBO, and WBC titles are at stake after Usyk relinquished his IBF belt.

(Source: AFP)