Tyson Fury (34-1-1, 24 KOs) vows to do “less clowning” during his upcoming rematch.
‘The Gypsy King’ is gearing up to face Oleksandr Usyk (22-0, 14 KOs) for a highly anticipated rematch at the Riyadh Season Reignited on December 21. In an interview, boxing legend Mike Tyson (50-7-2, 44 KOs) shared his thoughts on what Fury could have done differently during the first fight. However, Fury’s recent promise certainly seems to cover ‘Iron’ Mike’s concerns and the other chinks in his armor.
Tyson was a guest on the latest episode of Fox Sports Radio’s Covino & Rich show. In conversation, they delved into the upcoming Usyk vs Fury 2 fight. “Tyson Fury could have won that fight if he wasn’t playing around early in the fight,” Tyson said while talking about the first fight. “I want him to be serious enough.”
The champ’s words certainly hit a chord, as many agree that Fury let overconfidence get the best of him during his fight against Usyk. While he seemed to be doing considerably well in the initial rounds, the tables soon turned as Fury appeared to have lost his focus and was more interested in being an entertainer. This proved to be a death blow during the pivotal final rounds. Which, in turn, made Usyk the victor by decision.
Talking to the Associated Press, Fury promised to take the fight more seriously and throw more punches. “Keep hitting him in the face more often than I did last time. I’m just going to box smart, box clever and if I catch him, get him out of there. Pretty similar to what I did last time. A little bit less clowning around and a bit more focus, and that’s it, really,” he said. “It’s taken my focus away as well, so maybe a little less clowning and more focus on the actual victory. I was messing around too much in there.”
“I’m Not The Same Guy”
As the fight inches closer, Fury is also aware that age is catching up to him. At 36, Fury mentions that he struggles to retain the athleticism he had during his early 20s. “I’m not the same guy I was at 21 or 22, but who is at that age?” Fury said.
He further mentioned that it was not just him but even legends like Muhammad Ali, Mike Tyson, and Joe Frazier struggled with age. And added that fights also negatively affect the wellbeing of fighters as they age.
“I remember when I was a young guy in my 20s and I said to Vladimir Klitschko, ‘Look at you, you’re an old man.’ He was 37. I said, ‘You’re old.’ I said, ‘You’ve got grey hairs in your beard.’ I said, ‘It’s a young man’s game,’ Now I’m in that position, I’m in that boat,” he said. “It wasn’t so much what he did right. It was me more fatigued than anything else, getting lackadaisical, you know what I mean?”
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