Tyson Fury had been expected to come in heavier for his second fight against Oleksandr Usyk having been beaten by the Ukrainian in May
Tyson Fury had been expected to come in heavier for his second fight against Oleksandr Usyk having been beaten by the Ukrainian in May Tyson Fury had been expected to come in heavier for his second fight against Oleksandr Usyk having been beaten by the Ukrainian in May
Tyson Fury weighed in at a career HEAVIEST of 281lb for his rematch with Oleksandr Usyk.
Fury weighed 262lb before losing to Usyk in May and has piled on a STONE in the seventh months since, although he was fully-clothed. His previous hight was 277lb for his narrow win over Francis Ngannou last year. Usyk scaled 223lb in May and added only three pounds ahead of the sequel tomorrow night.
The rivals then faced off for mere seconds having spent almost 12 minutes staring each other down after their press conference on Thursday. And Fury declined to speak to the media after stepping on the scales. Usyk, meanwhile, said: “My angel helps me, my God Jesus helps me, my family, my team and my wife helps me.”
Fury’s promoter Frank Warren said: “”There’s going to be a war tomorrow. Tyson has come to get those belts back; that’s what he’s here for, that’s what he’s sacrificed for, and I believe that’s what he’ll do. He’s heavier but iI think the other guy is as well. You can analyse it what ever way you like but tomorrow night, we’re going to find out who is the best. You know both guys are coming to fight; it’s going to be exciting and you’re going to see something extra, extra special.”
Fury’s sequel with Usyk was earlier hit by a row after the two teams disagreed over which judge would replace official Fernando Barbosa who took ill and was unable to fly to Riyadh. Two judges were on standby with each camp favouring a different replacement.
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Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk are set to lock horns again on December 21 with the Brit attempting to avenge his defeat by the Ukrainian in May. Victory for Fury could also set up a huge domestic showdown with bitter rival Anthony Joshua next year
Usyk and his team also requested a special canvas for the rematch having been unhappy with the ring covering for the first fight. Usyk’s team believed the stitching was a trip hazard and wanted the design changed for the rematch this weekend. Organisers had to change the way the canvas was made to ensure the stitching is now underneath and not sticking up.
In another pre-fight argument, Fury was given permission to keep his beard ahead of Saturday night’s showdown. Usyk had asked that his challenger be required to shave before the first bell but the Middle Eastern Boxing Commission, which is overseeing the heavyweight clash, rejected the champion’s request.
Mirror – Sport
