Former two-time bantamweight champion Paul Butler expects WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury to use his size to hold & lean on IBF/WBA/WBO champ Oleksandr Usyk to wear him down to get a knockout on May 18th in their undisputed championship.
Fury (34-0-1, 24 KOs) is on the A-side despite having fewer world titles and accomplished less as a pro or as an amateur. Some fans believe Fury’s being on the A-side could translate into the referee permitting him to maul Usyk (21-0, 14 KOs) nonstop without being warned, penalized, or disqualified.
Here’s Fury’s Winning Formula:
- Rabbit punches galore
- Holding and hitting
- Floppy gloves
Fury used to be a good mover in his day, but age has done a number on his wheels, turning him into a one-trick pony whose only method of winning is to use roughhouse tactics and his heavy grizzly bear frame to lean and wrestle his opponents into a state of fatigue.
Fury also uses rabbit punches aplenty holding and hitting. Those tactics, along with the floppy glove in the second match, came in handy for Fury in his three fights with Deontay Wilder.
Can Usyk Counter Fury’s Tricks?
Butler expects Fury to use his size to lean on Usyk to wear him down as the fight progresses and have his way once the 2012 Olympic gold medalist is exhausted from the wrestling.
Usyk knows the tricks that the 270+ lb Fury uses to win his fights, and he’s going to stay on the move, nailing him with sniper shots and not letting him grab him to begin his leaning and mauling.
It’s important that Usyk use precision strikes to prevent Fury from falling into his typical wrestling bit. The guy is a huge bear, and he’s going to be holding and mauling nonstop to get the win.
It didn’t work for Fury last October because he was fighting the powerful 270+ lb former UFC champion Francis Ngannou, and made his life miserable when he attempted to lean on him.
Butler’s Prediction
“I think he’s [Tyson Fury] is going to try and stay with him in the first four rounds and match him with speed and foot movement,” said Paul Butler to Secondsout about how he believes Fury will fight Oleksandr Usyk on May 18th.
“As the rounds go on, I do think he’ll use the size and the weight as an advantage like he done with Deontay Wilder where he’s holding, he’s leaning and making it hard for him and Usyk is going to have to be wrestling him off.
“I do think that’s where Fury will come good, and anything from nine onward, I can see Fury getting a stoppage,” said Butler on his prediction of a Fury knockout of Usyk.