Lennox Lewis has backed Tyson Fury to get the better of Oleksandr Usyk as long as he is ‘100 per cent focused’ heading into the heavyweight fight.
A result in next weekend’s eagerly anticipated showdown in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, would see the crowning of the first undisputed heavyweight champion since Lewis’ defeat of Evander Holyfield 25 years ago.
Usyk – the WBO, WBA and IBF champion – has already beaten two British heavyweights, after downing Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois, and the Ukrainian will be desperate to keep his undefeated record intact when he enters the ring for the 22nd bout of his professional career.
The fight had initially been due to take place in February but Fury sustained a nasty cut above his right eye during sparring and boxing fans have made to wait for what promises to be an explosive matchup.
Fury was given an almighty scare by Francis Ngannou in his previous fight back in October and The Gypsy King is targeting an emphatic response against a man many believe could bring his unbeaten run to an end.
‘You’re looking at two very good, very determined fighters, guys that have never lost,’ legendary former heavyweight Lewis told The Guardian while previewing the fight, billed as Ring of Fire.
‘We’re going to see, 18 May, who is the best in this era.’
Asked to predict ahead of next Sunday’s contest, Lewis replied: ‘I believe the bigger guy, the better guy, wins.
‘They both have good skill and Usyk has good movement, with good balance, and puts his punches together well. But he’s going up against a 6ft 9in guy and, for me, Tyson Fury is very elusive even if he is so big. If he makes you miss, he makes you pay.
‘It’s an interesting matchup but I always say if two guys have the same technical skill, the bigger fighter wins because he can force his size on the other guy.
‘It’s happened before where the smaller guy won but, in this case, Tyson Fury’s got lots of different weapons in his arsenal.
‘He has shown in the [three] fights with Deontay Wilder he is aggressive and moves forward well. Those fights really showed his skill, his talent, his ring generalship.
‘I would put money on Fury – as long as it is the 100 per cent focused Fury.’
According to Lewis, Fury got his approach all wrong and was ‘not at his best’ in his fight with Ngannou.
‘I would go in there and show that boxing is way different to UFC. Fury should have gone after him and knocked him out. Anthony Joshua did that a few months later,’ he added.
‘But Fury was not at his best. He was way overweight and didn’t take the fight seriously. Joshua showed that boxing is different.
‘He hit Ngannou with a very good right hand and it didn’t look good the way he fell.
‘This is a dangerous sport, where we don’t play.’
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