Tyson Fury’s Rematch Preparation: Mindset, Personal Impact, and Training Location

Live text and radio commentary for Usyk v Fury 2 will be available from 20:00 GMT on Saturday via the BBC Sport website and app. The analysis of Tyson Fury’s loss commenced immediately after Oleksandr Usyk’s victory in Saudi Arabia in May. A win for Fury would have solidified his position as the premier heavyweight of his era. However, Usyk emerged as boxing’s inaugural four-belt undisputed heavyweight champion, leaving Fury to reflect on the outcome. Promoter Frank Warren stated, “It was the most important heavyweight fight of the 21st century, which lived up to all expectations and a result which could have gone either way, but Fury isn’t a cry-baby.” Fury, who was saved by the bell during the ninth round, refrained from offering excuses for his performance following the split-decision points defeat. Details concerning Usyk v Fury 2 are available. Nevertheless, several factors were identified as contributing to Fury’s defeat, including an eye injury that limited sparring, team-related disruptions, and a personal tragedy in Lancashire. Drawing on insights from individuals closely associated with Fury, BBC Sport examines the adjustments the two-time champion has implemented in his preparation for Saturday’s rematch. The program is scheduled to commence at 21:00 GMT on Saturday, 21 December. Fury previously missed an opportunity to become the undisputed champion. The IBF title, currently held by Daniel Dubois, will not be contested in the upcoming rematch. Earlier this year, Fury’s preparations for what was considered the most significant fight of his career were suboptimal. A cut sustained to his right eye during sparring led to a three-month postponement of the fight. According to assistant trainer Andy Lee, Fury was subsequently unable to participate in head sparring sessions. The 36-year-old boxer has returned to Riyadh for the rematch, following a training camp held in Malta, located over 2,000 miles from his hometown of Morecambe. The hilltop village of Mellieha offered a warmer climate, reduced media presence, and was an hour closer to the Saudi time zone. Heavyweight boxers Moses Itauma and Kevin Lerena, who served as sparring partners for Fury in both fights, informed BBC Sport that this training camp proceeded without issues. Lerena observed a “massive turnaround,” and Itauma stated that Fury is “100% serious about getting revenge.” Former world champion Richie Woodhall suggested that the absence of sufficient sparring prior to the initial fight might have been a decisive factor. Woodhall commented, “Fury was coasting against Usyk but his problem was he ran out of gas and got caught.” He added, “The most important part of your training programme is your sparring and running. If he wasn’t sparring, it definitely affected his gas tank, without a shadow of a doubt.” A related video was unavailable. Usyk has chosen not to disclose his strategy for Fury. Prior to their initial encounter, Fury, known for his unpredictable behavior, avoided eye contact with Usyk during a face-off and subsequently shoved him the following day. However, it was his father’s actions that garnered significant media attention. Early in fight week, John Fury reportedly headbutted a member of Usyk’s entourage. On fight night, he was part of his son’s chaotic corner, shouting instructions that reportedly overshadowed those of head trainer SugarHill Steward. Warren anticipates that Team Fury will exhibit improved conduct and that John, who will again be in the corner, will adopt a less prominent role. Warren stated, “There were a couple of moments where being a parent became more important to him than being a cornerman, which I totally understand, but this time the corner will operate differently – it has to.” Fury’s wife, Paris Fury, is also expected to be ringside. She has not seen her husband for three months during his training camp. Paris, who was six months pregnant, experienced a miscarriage on the eve of the first fight, preventing her from joining her husband in Riyadh. Warren remarked, “I could really feel her absence. You can usually feel her influence in the dressing room.” He added, “But I’m quite sure Paris will be there for the rematch, and there have also been no cuts this time, so I hope the whole aspect of what is happening outside of the ring changes what happens inside it.” While only Fury and his closest associates can truly ascertain his physical and mental readiness in May, Itauma has observed a shift in his mindset. Itauma commented, “He’s definitely more on it. I’m not saying he wasn’t before but I do feel like he’s more on the ball. Tyson may not show it in public but there’s been a switch in his mentality which could win him the rematch.” A video shows Usyk requesting Fury to sign a picture depicting Fury being punched in the face. Trainer Dave Coldwell, who was in Tony Bellew’s corner during his 2018 loss to Usyk, anticipates that the rematch’s outcome will hinge on in-ring tactics rather than taunts or verbal exchanges. Coldwell also suggested that southpaw Usyk’s body shots could be crucial and raised concerns about whether Fury has accumulated excessive wear and tear, particularly after a challenging trilogy with Wilder and being knocked down by debutant Francis Ngannou last year. Coldwell further stated, “Once the punch resistance goes, it doesn’t come back and maybe he also underestimated Usyk’s ability to hurt him in the first fight.” Fury, who had previously been knocked down seven times in his career, dominated the majority of the initial rounds before receiving a standing count following an intense Usyk offensive in the ninth round. Fury has stated that his tactics will remain consistent. Woodhall, however, believes Fury needs to exhibit greater discipline and leverage his height and reach advantage to control the distance against his smaller opponent. Woodhall added, “Fury and his team will work on that uppercut on the inside which didn’t really land last time. Get Usyk to close the gap down and bring him on to that big punch.” Woodhall predicts a victory for Fury, potentially by knockout. When pressed for a prediction, Coldwell favored Usyk. The analysis of the previous fight yielded fairly conclusive findings, yet, similar to the judges’ decision in the first bout, experts remain divided on the potential outcome of the rematch. In other programming, Sandi Toksvig is joined by Gyles Brandreth, Lulu, Emmanuel Sonubi and Alan Davies. Another segment encourages participation with music from Queen, Taylor Swift, Bon Jovi, Katy Perry and more. Ben Fogle and Kate Humble return for festivities at Longleat Safari Park. Topics covered range from microplastics in air, soil, and waterways to the extent of food waste during this period. © 2024 BBC. The BBC disclaims responsibility for the content of external websites. Information regarding its approach to external linking is available.