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Tyson Fury ‘is getting turned over in the gym’ ahead of Oleksandr Usyk fight

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Tyson Fury

Jonny Nelson has questioned whether Tyson Fury’s ‘legs have gone’ after hearing rumours of him being ‘turned over in the gym’ ahead of the fight with Oleksandr Usyk.

The ‘Gypsy King’ is currently in training ahead of his undisputed heavyweight clash with Usyk on on Saturday, February 17.

Arguably the most important fight of his life, Fury is going into the contest in shaky form after his controversial split decision win against former UFC champion Francis Ngannou last October.

That victory should have acted as a wake-up call for the 35-year-old, but according to Nelson, the noises coming out of Fury’s training camp are less than convincing.

Speaking on talkBOXING with Spencer Oliver and Jonny Nelson, Nelson said: “I’m hearing rumours of what’s happening in camp – I’m hearing that he’s getting turned over in the gym.

“So this thing about appetite when he’s in the gym, I mean, he got shown his a***.

“I’m hearing these things and I’m thinking has he taken his eye off the ball, or has time caught up with him?

“In regards to his last fight, I put that down to him disrespecting the man in front of him and if you’re led to believe he had the best training camp, his legs had gone.

“I’d expect Tyson Fury to beat Oleksandr Usyk, but the Tyson Fury who boxed Ngannou in his last fight gets knocked out.

“If that Tyson Fury turns up then it’s done, it’s over.

“The reason why I said ‘the legs are gone’ line is that I remember Tony Bellew saying it about David Haye and at first I was like ‘what?’, but when I saw it I knew what he was talking about.

“I might be saying something that might not be too popular – I expect him to win, I just think he dropped the ball in the last fight.

“These rumours I’m hearing, I hope they’re just rumours set about by him.”

WBC heavyweight champion Fury boasts a record of 34-1-0 is seeking the WBA, WBO and IBF belts the Ukrainian currently holds.

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Tyson Fury’s earring insult backfires as Oleksandr Usyk has perfect response

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Tyson Fury attempted to insult Oleksandr Usyk by mocking his rival’s earring – only to end up being humbled.

Fury and Usyk will meet next month to crown the first undisputed heavyweight world champion since Lennox Lewis in 1999. The rivals have been on a collision course for 18 months since Usyk completed his double act over Anthony Joshua.

And as they sat down to discuss their clash, Fury aimed a jibe at the Ukrainian. “I know he can’t beat me, I know he can’t,” he said. “A man who wears an earring can never beat Tyson Fury, ever. Not a chance, no-one who wears earrings can beat him.”

But Usyk was quick to respond as he explained his jewellery. “I can explain about the earrings. It’s Ukrainian warrior, Cossack,” he said. “They were the people who defended my country from our enemies for many years. This is just the proof of my Cossack lineage – they never lost to anybody. There is no beauty or fashion in this.”

Fury attempted to regain the upper hand, adding: “Listen in Ukraine it means he’s a good fighting man, for him. But where I’m from it means he’s a p**** with an earring in.” Fury previously promised the unbeaten heavyweight rivals would deliver a “fight for the ages” when they clash in Riyadh on February 17.

Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury 1

“I’m going to bust him up. Sausage. Ugly little man. Rabbit. Run rabbit, run rabbit, run, run, run,” he said. “You know what’s coming? You’re getting smashed to pieces, sausage. You’re fighting the best British heavyweight there’s ever been.

“You’ve beaten the rest of them, but you haven’t beaten Tyson Fury, sausage. You can never beat me. If you beat me in your dreams you better wake up and apologise. I stole that from Muhammad Ali, I apologise. When you sleep at night ugly man you’re going to think of me for the next eight weeks. I’m going to punch your face in. You ugly little man.”

Fury and Usyk were being lined up to meet last month, only for the Briton’s difficulty in dispatching Francis Ngannou on a controversial night in Saudi Arabia to result in a delay. With his verbal attack on the Ukrainian over, Fury talked up the quality of a contest between two outstanding boxers who posses skill and warrior spirit in equal measure, even if he thinks Usyk will struggle because of his size.

“We’re both undefeated. He’s a champion, I’m a champion. It’s going to be a fight for the ages,” Fury said. “It’s been 24 years since we’ve had an undisputed champion. The Klitschkos were champions for around 10 years, so there’s been 14 years when the other heavyweights couldn’t do it.

“We’ve both been chosen and there can only be one winner. I’m going to become the undisputed champion. More than that, I’m destined to cement my legacy as the number one fighter of this era. To do that I’ve got to beat this little man, which is easier said than done because he’s a tricky boxer, slick and all of that.

“But I’ve seen many like him before and when they fight the big men, they struggle. And he will struggle on February 17. I will break him. He’s a middleweight, but it’s not the size of the dog in the fight but the size of the fight in the dog and he’s obviously got a lot of fight in him. But when you meet a big man who is a lot bigger but also has the fight inside him, let’s put it in a nutshell – you’re f****d.”

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Francis Ngannou Predicts Tyson Fury-Oleksandr Usyk: “I Want Him To Win Too”

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Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury 1

Tyson Fury faces Oleksandr Usyk on February 17, the winner becoming the first sole champion of the heavyweight division in over two decades. The man who almost ruined those plans has now given his prediction.

Francis Ngannou made his debut against Fury in October of 2023, dropping the heavyweight champion in the third round of ten and battling to a close loss on the cards.

Fans were shocked on two counts – impressed by Ngannou’s performance and left wondering if Fury’s best days were behind him. Many even changed their prediction for the already-signed Usyk bout.

Still, speaking to Queensberry Promotions, the MMA man turned pro boxer backed his former opponent to emerge as the next undisputed champion.

Fury will enter the ring the betting favourite, although Usyk is no stranger to upsetting the odds in the heavyweight division, most notably in his first fight with Anthony Joshua for the unified titles.

His late stoppage win over Daniel Dubois was impressive on paper, but many feel the Ukrainian once again showed a vulnerability to the body that Fury may be able to exploit.

The Brit, though, certainly didn’t inspire in his last contest with Ngannou, and the general verdict is he must prepare much more diligently to snatch three belts from Usyk and add them to his WBC.

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Tyson Fury net worth compared to Anthony Joshua before Oleksandr Usyk fight

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Tyson Fury

Tyson Fury is set for another significant payday when he steps into the ring with Oleksandr Usyk.

The WBC heavyweight champion is set to take on Usyk on Saturday, February 17. All four heavyweight belts will be at stake to crown the first undisputed heavyweight champion since Lennox Lewis in 1999.

Fury was last in the ring for his showdown with former UFC champion Francis Ngannou in October, with the bout in Saudi Arabia reportedly earning him $50m (£39m). American outlet Forbes has previously stated that the heavyweight champion’s net worth is $62m (£48.73m) but this was last updated in May 2022.

The latest set of public accounts for Tyson Fury Ltd, dated from April 2021 to March 2022, showed that he made a £13m profit and finished the year with £43m in the bank. His estimated earnings after defeating Derek Chisora in December 2022 were claimed to be up to £130m after two fights in that calendar year. This may have increased to around £170m following his clash with Ngannou, while Fury’s estimated purse for the fight with Usyk is £60-80m.

Outside of the ring, Fury’s family were the subject of the Netflix documentary, At Home with the Furys. He has also released best-selling books and launched his Furocity Energy drink.

Long-standing rival Anthony Joshua is the other marquee name in the heavyweight division, headlining stadium fights during his two championship reigns. Forbes estimated Joshua’s worth to be $53m (£41,64m) as of May 2023, around £7m less than Fury.

Joshua lost his unified heavyweight title in a two-fight series with Usyk, which reportedly earned him a combined £75m. Comeback wins over Jermaine Franklin and Robert Helenius are claimed to have paid £10m apiece and the 34-year-old closed 2023 with a convincing win over Otto Wallin to put himself firmly back in the title picture.

‘AJ’ is set to face Francis Ngannou in March and it has been suggested that the Olympic gold medalist will be paid £31m. A win would put him in contention to face the victor of Fury’s clash with Usyk. Away from the ring, Joshua launched his management company 258 MGT, invested in property and has been involved in lucrative sponsorship deals, including Under Armour.

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Tyson Fury sparring partner leaves after just five rounds ahead of Oleksandr Usyk fight

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tyson fury and oleksandr usyk

Former cruiserweight world champion Jai Opetaia has left Tyson Fury’s training camp after sparring just five rounds with the Brit.

Opetaia will fight Mairis Briedis on the undercard of Fury’s undisputed heavyweight world title fight with Oleksandr Usyk next month. He has also been part of Fury’s team in Saudi Arabia but the 28-year-old has returned to Australia due to a lack of orthodox sparring.

Fury has prioritised southpaw sparring ahead of his clash with ‘lefty’ Usyk and has been based in the Middle East since shortly after Christmas. He and Usyk will meet in the ring on February 17 as they attempt to crown the division’s first undisputed champion since Lennox Lewis in 1999.

A statement from Opetaia’s promoter read: “Jai Opetaia has recently returned from Saudi Arabia where he sparred and trained with Tyson Fury. They were fantastic, competitive rounds and an incredible experience for Jai. However any talk of either boxer being dropped is not true. Jai is now back in Australia finalising his preparation to defend his world title and cannot wait to do so in Saudi Arabia.”

Fury enters a fight billed as ‘Ring of Fire ’ on the back of last year’s fraught split decision victory over former UFC heavyweight king Francis Ngannou, who was making his boxing debut. But he is confident he can deliver an improved performance. “I’m going to bust him up. Sausage. Ugly little man. Rabbit. Run rabbit, run rabbit, run, run, run,” Fury said.

Oleksandr Usyk

“You know what’s coming? You’re getting smashed to pieces, sausage. You’re fighting the best British heavyweight there’s ever been. You’ve beaten the rest of them, but you haven’t beaten Tyson Fury, sausage.

“You can never beat me. If you beat me in your dreams you better wake up and apologise. I stole that from Muhammad Ali, I apologise. When you sleep at night ugly man you’re going to think of me for the next eight weeks. I’m going to punch your face in. You ugly little man.”

With his verbal attack on the Ukrainian over, Fury talked up the quality of a contest between two outstanding boxers who posses skill and warrior spirit in equal measure, even if he thinks Usyk will struggle because of his size.

“We’re both undefeated. He’s a champion, I’m a champion. It’s going to be a fight for the ages,” Fury said. “It’s been 24 years since we’ve had an undisputed champion. The Klitschkos were champions for around 10 years, so there’s been 14 years when the other heavyweights couldn’t do it.

“We’ve both been chosen and there can only be one winner. I’m going to become the undisputed champion. More than that, I’m destined to cement my legacy as the number one fighter of this era.

“To do that I’ve got to beat this little man, which is easier said than done because he’s a tricky boxer, slick and all of that. But I’ve seen many like him before and when they fight the big men, they struggle. And he will struggle on February 17. I will break him.

“He’s a middleweight, but it’s not the size of the dog in the fight but the size of the fight in the dog and he’s obviously got a lot of fight in him. But when you meet a big man who is a lot bigger but also has the fight inside him, let’s put it in a nutshell – you’re f****d.”

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Jai Opetaia Leaves Tyson Fury’s Training Camp After Sparring Just 5 Rounds

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JaI Opetia

Cruiserweight sensation Jai Opetaia was recognised by some as the perfect sparring partner to Tyson Fury when his fight with Oleksandr Usyk was announced.

The 28-year-old southpaw won the IBF World Title from Mairis Briedis in 2022, fighting through a broken jaw to take a unanimous decision.

He defended the belt once – a fourth round stoppage of Jordan Thompson – before being forced to vacate when he had a fight with Ellis Zorro lined up because the sanctioning body would only accept the Briedis rematch. Opetaia produced a highlight-reel knockout against Zorro in the first round.

His slick lefty stance and potential as a heavyweight in the future led Fury’s team to get in touch for sparring before the Usyk bout – the current unified champion after winning all four belts down at 200lbs.

Opetaia grabbed the opportunity with both hands, and was then manoeuvred to have his second fight with Breidis on the same card, giving him the chance to win back the now-vacant IBF belt as well as defend his Ring Magazine title.

Tyson Fury

Whilst the match-up bolsters his career, it has now been revealed that it has shortened his learning experience with ‘The Gypsy King.’

Ben Damon of FOX Sports Australia now reports that, after just five rounds of work, Opetaia has left the camp in order to pursue more orthodox sparring in preparation for his own fight.

Social media rumours immediately began to suggest that one man had hurt the other, but that has been confirmed as false by Opetaia’s team.

Opetaia-Briedis and Fury-Usyk land on February 17 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

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Former World Champion Says Usyk Is Too Small And Careful To Beat Tyson Fury

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Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury 1

Tyson Fury will have around five inches and height, 50lbs in weight and seven inches in reach on Oleksandr Usyk when they meet in the most anticipated heavyweight match-up in some years.

Whilst Usyk has adapted well to the heavyweight division since his four-belt run at cruiserweight, Sergio More believes going in against the self-proclaimed ‘behemoth’ is a step too far.

Speaking on DAZN, former middleweight champion Mora said Fury is too big for Usyk.

‘The Latin Snake’ pointed out that he was more impressed by Fury’s wins in the division than Usyk’s.

Finally, Mora gave the style advantage to Fury to cement his prediction.

Either Fury or Usyk will be crowned undisputed heavyweight champion on February 17.

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Anthony Joshua wants to fight Tyson Fury but expects Oleksandr Usyk to win their undisputed fight

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Anthony Joshua is rooting for Tyson Fury to beat Oleksandr Usyk so they can finally put on an all-British blockbuster for the fans.

‘The Gypsy King’ will put his WBC title on the line in the hopes

of winning Usyk’s WBA, WBO, and IBF heavyweight belts at ‘Ring of Fire’ in Saudi Arabia on February 17.

Whoever wins will become the first four-belt undisputed champion in heavyweight history and will also walk away with a new belt made to mark the occasion.

The winner could move on to a fight against Joshua or former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou after they clash at ‘Knockout Chaos’ in the Middle Eastern country on March 8.

AJ expects to beat Ngannou, and then be matched with Usyk again.

The Ukrainian famously outpointed Joshua and took his three heavyweight titles in September 2021 before repeating the feat 11 months later.

“It’s going to be a good fight,” Joshua told Sky Sports on Monday.

“I think Usyk edges it. I’m not really bothered. I just want them both to be healthy and leave the ring. It’s a tough game. So that’s all I can ask for, that they leave the ring healthy.

“In terms of how it goes, it doesn’t affect my life, in a way. I’m not like one of those fans that starts crying because someone won or lost.

“It is what it is. Tomorrow comes around. Good luck to both of them.”

For Joshua, a long-awaited showdown with Fury is the preference, even though he expects Usyk to become the first man to beat his compatriot next month.

He added: “Probably the opportunity to fight Tyson Fury.

“I think that’s a better fight for the fans and myself.”

Fury vs Usyk has a two-way rematch clause. So, even if ‘The Joker’ emerges victoriously from ‘Ring of Fire’ he’ll have to beat Fury again before a potential trilogy fight with Joshua can take place.

In the meantime, Joshua is expected to target the IBF title, which is set to be made vacant when Fury and Usyk confirm they’ll rematch rather than face mandatory challenger Filip Hrgovic.

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Winner of Anthony Joshua vs Francis Ngannou set to face Tyson Fury or Oleksandr Usyk for heavyweight titles

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Anthony Joshua

Anthony Joshua will face Francis Ngannou on March 8 in Saudi Arabia; the fight takes place three weeks after Tyson Fury takes on Oleksandr Usyk in an undisputed heavyweight title clash; promoter Frank Warren says the winners of the two bouts could face each other next

The winner of Anthony Joshua’s fight with Francis Ngannou could challenge the victor of Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk’s undisputed heavyweight title clash later this year, according to promoter Frank Warren.

Two-time heavyweight world champion Joshua on Monday had his bout with former UFC heavyweight champion Ngannou confirmed for March 8 in Saudi Arabia, three weeks after WBO, IBF, and WBA belt-holder Usyk takes on WBC titlist Fury in Riyadh.

Most had expected that the undisputed clash would be followed by a rematch, but at Monday’s Joshua-Ngannou press conference in London, it was suggested the winners of the two fights could be matched next

Anthony Joshua

Turki Alalshikh of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority, who has brokered a series of high-profile fights in Riyadh, said: “You will see the result of this match will connect about the result of the 17 February – this is our idea.”

Warren then added: “For the winner, the big fight’s happening on February 17, with Tyson and Usyk.

“The winner of that – would we like to see them with the winner of this fight? Everybody in boxing would love to see that.

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Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk winner to receive new special ‘undisputed’ heavyweight champion belt

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Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury

Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk will compete for five belts next month.

The highly anticipated heavyweight fight scheduled for February 17 was already historic due to the fact all four major heavyweight world titles will be on the line.

Fury will put his WBC belt on the line against WBA, IBF and WBO champion Usyk, with the winner walking away from the Ring of Fire event as the first-ever four-belt undisputed heavyweight champion.

Now, their fight has just got slightly bigger due to the creation of a new belt to mark the occasion.

On Monday, Anthony Joshua and Francis Ngannou took centre stage at a press conference to officially announce their fight in Saudi Arabia on March 8.

Chairman of General Authority for Entertainment His Excellency Turki Alalshikh kicked things off with a speech about his goals in 2024, which include putting on a light-heavyweight undisputed fight between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol.

Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury 1

His Excellency rounded things off by pointing to a big screen, and showing the heavyweights on stage what they could fight for later this year.

“I want to show Joshua and Ngannou what’s waiting for them,” he said.

A picture of the new undisputed heavyweight champion title belt that will be on the line during Fury vs Usyk was unveiled for the first time.

It was accompanied by text that pointed out its unique features and explained the tiny details that set the belt apart from typical boxing titles.

Hall of Fame boxing promoter Frank Warren subsequently revealed Fury and Usyk will compete for the belt before the winner fights Joshua or Ngannou later this year.

“Whoever wins the [Fury vs Usyk] fight has got the belt,” he said.

“It’s not one any governing body is going to take away, they don’t have mandatories.

“The winner is the unified champion, so anyone who fights him will be fighting for that right.”

 

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