Will we see a heavyweight unification showdown between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk in 2022? We fight fans sure hope so, and if the fight does happen, Malik Scott says he will be backing Usyk to defeat Fury. Scott, who did a wonderful job in training Deontay Wilder for his epic (if losing) trilogy fight with Fury, says the Fury of today is “more vulnerable and easier to hit than any Tyson Fury before.”
Scott, who spoke with ES News, said he feels the heavier, more aggressive version of Fury we saw in his last two fights (these the two stoppage wins over Wilder) would be “a perfect system for Usyk to operate off of.”
“This Tyson Fury is much more vulnerable and easier to hit,” Scott said. “I believe the Tyson Fury that fought Wladimir Klitschko and Deontay Wilder the first time, I believe that Tyson Fury gives Usyk all kinds of fits. The movement, the reflexes Tyson Fury – I believe this Tyson Fury now, I believe Usyk would beat. The heavier Tyson Fury that’s coming forwards, that wants to take chances and put his weight on people. I think that is a perfect system for Usyk to operate off of. Because his feet are fast, he turns on angles, he’s a good counter puncher and his punches are so accurate they come with a bit more sting than they appear. So if I had to bet, I would bet Usyk would beat Tyson Fury.”
Fascinating stuff. Scott really has got a keen, observant trainer’s mind. It would be interesting to see Scott work with other fights, as it will be interesting to see if he can get Wilder back to winning ways should the former WBC heavyweight champ decide to box on. As for Fury against Usyk; would we see Fury in “destroy” mode in that fight, or would he perhaps try to shed some weight and look to outbox the clever southpaw, in a similar manner to the way he really did give Klitschko fits?
Fury, 31-0-1(22) does seem settled in as an approx 270 pound come-forward tank, and at age 33, it could be hard for him to drop some weight and return to the feinting, nimble, clever boxer he once was. So is Scott right, does today’s Fury, who as we know ate some hard shots from Wilder (of course, Usyk is no lethal banger the way Wilder is) get hit too much and might he end up losing to Usyk? Will we even see the fight? Usyk, 19-0(13) must get his repeat win over Anthony Joshua, while Fury has yet to decide who he will fight next.
But if both men keep on winning, that Fury-Usyk showdown will absolutely have to happen. Not too long ago, almost everyone was saying former cruiserweight king Usyk was too small for the juggernaut heavies like AJ and Fury. How many people have since changed their mind?
