JOHNNY NELSON: Tyson Fury has defied logic but here is main the reason why he lost to Oleksandr Usyk again – and why I believe he does not want to fight Anthony Joshua
- PLUS, what I think is the next step for Oleksandr Usyk after Daniel Dubois’ challenge
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Ultimately, Tyson Fury paid the price for his lifestyle outside the ring.
He came into this rematch with the right attitude and the right intention, but the result just wasn’t there.
Normally we see Fury firing instinctive shots that are good enough to take fighters down. I think he threw half a dozen of them and spent the rest of the fight overthinking, thinking about how to set up his next shot, reacting instead of activating. He was thinking too much about who was standing in front of him.
It was the right decision to come in heavier as it allowed him to set up the fight as he did, taking the lead in round five, but after that he was too indecisive, his legs just weren’t there and he was left behind with only a puncher’s chance in the last few rounds when he had to step it up.
His lifestyle has caught up with him. You can’t live the life of a fighter for three months out of the year and then leave it for the rest. We saw that with Ricky Hatton. It takes its toll.
Oleksandr Usyk exhausts you both mentally and physically. If he sees Fury being helped out of a pub in Morecambe he will be pleased. He won’t think ‘that guy strikes fear into my soul’. Derailing has become a habit for Fury. For all his talent, I don’t think Fury has fought well since his second fight with Deontay Wilder.
Tyson Fury couldn’t get revenge on Oleksandr Usyk when they played again on Saturday
The 37-year-old suffered from being too cautious when trying to find his openings
Fury should leave boxing with his legacy intact. A trilogy would end the same way
He is a fighter who has defied logic, moves like a 12 stone man while weighing almost 20 stone, but if he doesn’t live the right life you age as a boxer and that is why he looked most vulnerable after round six on Saturday evening.
I hope he walks away from boxing now, but he will find that difficult. I know he will go to a dark place.
The pride is huge for Fury and he may still decide ‘I want to do it again’, but the only end goal will be more money.
Fury and Anthony Joshua could become prizefighters for one last dance. That’s what the people around them want because of the wealth at stake, but I’m not convinced that’s what Fury and AJ want.
Their ideal was always to be the best fighter, to create a legacy. They have enough personal wealth. I doubt there is any point in taking on Usyk again as the result would be the same. The only way the landscape changes is if Usyk walks away.
My inspiration was Lennox Lewis, a champion who retired from boxing. Usyk can do the same.
I’m not sure if Daniel Dubois jumping into the ring even registered with him. For him, other things are more important in his life, such as the political and motivational role he plays for his country. Although he has the daily discipline, boxing isn’t everything for him and I wouldn’t be surprised if he gave it up. He has nothing else to prove.