A body language expert believes one of Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk is already ‘plodding’ and ‘subdued’ – so much so that she has predicted a clear winner.
Fury and Usyk shared an astonishing eleven minutes and twenty seconds confrontation on Thursday and met again at the weigh-in on Friday.
The pair will fight for Usyk’s WBA, WBO and WBC heavyweight titles in Riyadh on Saturday night, with Fury seeking revenge after his split-decision defeat in May.
Fury and Usyk had to be separated on Thursday as each tried to gain a psychological edge over the other, with the Gypsy King vowing to ‘hurt a lot’ and ‘do some damn damage’.
But it is the Ukrainian who, according to body language expert Judi James, has the upper hand after their confrontation, she said BetUK.
‘Usyk won the ten-minute stare-off. He was so still and solid that I believe he could still be there today in the same pose. This indicates physical and mental resilience and a calm purpose that will take your breath away,” James said.
A body language expert believes Oleksandr Usyk has a psychological edge over Tyson Fury
Judi James says the Ukrainian looked ‘focused’ and ‘more professional’ while Fury was ‘subdued’ and ‘struggling’
Fury hopes to avenge his May loss and claim the WBA, WBO and WBC heavyweight belts
‘His gaze seems fixed and focused, making him look quiet, prepared for battle. His blink rate is almost negligible, indicating a lack of tension or stress, and when he blinks, it is a hard blink, showing inner anger.
“His reactions to Fury make him seem unconcerned, unintimidated and unaffected. He looked at Fury without any change of expression and without any pantomime grimaces or frowns.
‘At the weigh-in, his posture was purely professional, with flexed muscles and raised fists. His signature pose with lifted chin and frowning gaze suggests focus and fearlessness.
‘His body is spread in an act of professional, aggressive excitement rather than peacocking.
“The man shows no signs of weakness in his body language, apart from a few subtle signals during the confrontation where his mouth appeared to twitch with what could be a hint of inner fear.”
However, it was bad news for Fury, who suffered the first defeat of his career at the 36th attempt in May.
That night, the judges scored the fight 115-112 Usyk, 114-113 Fury and 114-113 Usyk, leaving the Gypsy King bitter as he declared that ‘people are siding with Usyk because of the war in Ukraine’, and body language guru James thinks Fury could be heading for another blemish on his notebook.
‘Fury’s complete reversal from affable, loquacious showman to this sullen, Grizzly-Adams, monosyllabic stage quitter is so acute that it could be a risky option.
Fury’s transition to a ‘monosyllabic stage quitter’ could sap his emotional energy
Meanwhile, Usyk’s stance betrayed no sign of weakness, aside from a hint of potential inner fear
“His body language at both the conference and the weigh-in is so subdued that it seems like an exaggerated, overly congruent and inauthentic act. His crinkly eye smiles keep trying to break free and he seems to physically suppress them by running his hand over his beard or face. Suppressing in this way takes emotional energy that he should probably save for the fight.
‘He arrived for the weigh-in with his hands in his pockets, which is a gesture associated with hiding or not wanting to be somewhere. He lurked at the back of the stage and left the stage before doing an interview.
“While posing with Usyk, he performed two key actions: his hands fell into the fig leaf pose, a self-protective barrier in front of the cross, and his chewing became so extreme that we could see the gums. Athletes often chew gum to combat anxiety.
‘There was no ten minute stare, but Fury turned away and then turned around again. Usyk’s hand waved in his direction and looked dismissive.
‘A comparison of their body language would then put the odds of victory in Usyk’s corner. Fury seems too busy trying to be something he isn’t and while doing so doesn’t intimidate his opponent, he can confuse him. It suggests that he is floundering and changing status as an announcement to his fans rather than to himself.
‘But… there was one body language moment that made a Fury victory look more promising. By the end of their epic look, something really seemed to have broken within Fury. His face became sweaty and his expression looked terrifying as he shouted at his opponent. If he can tap into that more focused state, he can still score a win with a strong uppercut.”
Obviously the fight is won in the ring and not in the build-up. Fury still has every chance of getting a result, and Mail Sport’s Charlotte Daly has heard from some experts on how he can turn the showdown in his favor.
Lennox Lewis explained how the 36-year-old must adopt an aggressive strategy and make the most of his physical advantage.
On Friday night, Fury weighed in 19 pounds heavier than he did during the first fight, clocking in at 281 pounds, although his actual weight is expected to be closer to 270 pounds. Meanwhile, Usyk came in at 226 pounds compared to the May fight when he weighed 223 pounds.
Lennox Lewis has revealed the game plan he thinks Fury should use against Usyk
Lewis believes Fury should use his uppercut more often in Saturday’s rematch
He has also urged Fury to be more aggressive and push Usyk back into the ring
“I would go after him straight away because I would say he’s not as strong as me,” Lewis told Mail Sport.
“And he would realize this and he would move and it would be a situation where I cut off the ring and put my weight on him, throw that jab, that left hook, that right hand. I would be a boxing specialist in that fight, using all my strengths.
“Whether it’s my uppercut, whether it’s my jab, whether it’s my hook. And I have to put all those things together.
‘He will see that he has had a great effect with his uppercut, so he will throw a lot more with it.
“I would throw some combinations and end with the uppercut, because he throws a left, right and then the hook and he ducks under that. Then the uppercut should be there.’
HOW TO WATCH: Register and watch Usyk vs. Fury 2 on DAZN here