Tyson Fury climbed out of the ring at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Oct. 9, 2021, literally and figuratively on top of the boxing world. The 6-foot-9 WBC heavyweight champion had just put an emphatic end to his rivalry with Deontay Wilder, stopping him in the 11th round of one of the finest heavyweight fights in at least a quarter of a century, if not longer.
Fury had long been known as a skilled boxer, but in his three bouts with Wilder, in which he went 2-0-1, he scored two wins by stoppage and dropped Wilder five times. He'd also, somewhat miraculously, arisen from a vicious knockdown in their first fight to ensure he got a draw and not his first pro defeat.
He seemed invincible, a slick boxer with the height of an NBA power forward and the reach that few in his division have ever had. Under the tutelage of Emanuel Steward protege SugarHill Steward, he'd also become a fearsome puncher, as Wilder discovered in the final two bouts of their trilogy.
On Saturday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, though, it will be a very different Fury who walks to the ring to face Oleksandr Usyk for the undisputed heavyweight title.
The winner of the bout, which can be streamed on PPV.com, ESPN+ and DAZN, will become the first undisputed champion since Lennox Lewis. It will be the first time since Evander Holyfield and Riddick Bowe met at the Thomas & Mack Center in the first of three trilogy that two undefeated men will square off for the undisputed title.
At the DraftKings sports book, Fury is a -120 favorite, with Usyk at even money. The over-under is 101/2 rounds, with over at -320 and under at +220.
Fury was a -240 favorite over Usyk in October before he fought former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou in Riyadh on Oct. 28 in Ngannou's professional boxing debut. Fury was awful in the fight, was dropped in the third and hung on by a thread to win a split decision. Most of the sharp action since that fight has been on Usyk, the one-time undisputed cruiserweight champion who holds the IBF, WBA and WBO heavyweight belts.
It's a different Fury who will walk to the ring to meet Usyk than the one who triumphantly left Las Vegas after defeating Wilder. Fury has gone 3-0 since then, but he defeated Dillian Whyte and Derek Chisora, both of whom were long over the hill, and Ngannou, who had never boxed professionally tomorrow. Fury admitted at one point that he considered retirement after the third Wilder fight because the fight was so brutal, and now there is at least some evidence to ponder that Wilder beat a lot of the fight out of Fury.
None of the three -- Whyte, Chisora or Ngannou -- are close to Usyk in terms of skill, movement, ring IQ, chin and quickness. Usyk went 24 rounds with Anthony Joshua and showed a strong chin against the heavy-handed ex-unified champion.
This is an intriguing match not only because of what is at stake but also because of the style of the fighters. Both are smart and have good boxing skills. Fury is the bigger puncher and he uses that jab not only as a range-finder but as a way to break down his opponents. It's most successful, though, when the opponent is moving straight in on Fury, trying to get inside.
Usyk is adept at slipping the jab and getting to the mid-range, where he'll do some of his best work. Fury is going to be vastly better on Saturday than he was on Oct. 28, when he struggled to a win over Ngannou. Fury expected to win just by showing up and had clearly barely trained for the fight.
He's in prime shape now, and isn't going to be as sluggish as he was then. If he's able to keep Usyk at the end of the jab, Usyk is going to face serious issues, because it will allow Fury to begin breaking him down.
The fight for Usyk will be like walking a tightrope without a net, risky and dangerous at all times. One mistake and it could all be over in an instant.
Usyk, though, is one of the pound-for-pound best in the world because he knows how to handle those situations. He's proven repeatedly that he can deal with a bigger, stronger opponent.
Fury isn't like anyone he's ever fought, but Usyk is also special, as well.
I'll take the even money and play Usyk to win.