By: Sean Crose
Maybe nobody must be stunned. John Fury, father of WBC titlist Tyson Fury, headbutted a member of Oleksandr Usyk’s workforce in Saudi Arabia on Monday. Usyk is, in fact, preventing the youthful Fury this Saturday for the undisputed heavyweight championship of the world. That truth, nonetheless, didn’t preserve a melee from occurring between the 2 fighter’s groups simply days earlier than the match. “We will’t be beat!” the senior Fury yelled to the group after the headbutt, blood streaming down his brow. Afterward, he instructed The Stomping Floor that he was high quality. Regardless of all that had simply transpired, Fury really then tipped his hat to Usyk. “I’ve to admire him,” he mentioned of his son’s opponent.
Fury had additionally added that peace had subsequently been made between the 2 camps. “They got here and apologized to me,” he mentioned, “and he didn’t need to.” When requested what led to the headbutt, Fury was clear: “He (a member of Group Usyk) mentioned one thing about my son.” The entire affair was traditional John Fury, a boisterous, good natured supporter of his son who nonetheless is thought for flying off the deal with. Though this type of factor isn’t unusual in boxing, it’s by no means good to see a melee erupt, particularly between people who received’t even be squaring off within the ring themselves.
The reality is that power ranges are fairly excessive now that Fury and Usyk are lastly going to sq. off this weekend. To start with, there hasn’t been an undisputed heavyweight champion of the world because the reign of the nice Lennox Lewis – and that was ages in the past. What’s extra, the struggle was postponed after Fury bought harm in coaching earlier this 12 months. Certain sufficient, there may be nonetheless worry that one thing may happen which, even at this late date, will preserve the extremely anticipated throwdown from taking place as scheduled in 5 days.
The reality is that Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk are in some ways opposites, not solely stylistically, however personality-wise, as effectively. Fury is towering, loud and enigmatic. The comparatively chill (and at instances humorous) Usyk, however, is a extra historically constructed heavyweight. Usyk can also be a person who likes to make use of angles within the ring, whereas Fury might be aggressive, but additionally extraordinarily slippery. Two totally different fighters. Two totally different outlooks. Little marvel that, on the eve of the largest heavyweight battle in years, tempers are beginning to flare. Let’s simply hope everybody retains issues in test from right here on out.
