Lennox Lewis has made his prediction for Oleksandr Usyk vs Tyson Fury 2 and revealed what he expects to happen if the 'Gypsy King' loses the rematch.
Fury, 36, and Usyk, 37, will meet again on Saturday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in another mouth-watering world heavyweight title fight.
Usyk beat Fury via split decision in their first meeting back in May, becoming the first undisputed heavyweight champion since Lewis achieved the feat in 1999.
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Usyk retains the WBA, WBC and WBO belts but is no longer undisputed champion, with British fighter Daniel Dubois currently in possession of the IBF strap.
Fury has set his sights on regaining three of the belts this weekend, promising to put the Ukrainian in the "hurt locker" at a tense pre-fight press conference on Thursday.
Fury has cut back on his usual showboating in the build-up to the rematch and looked incredibly focused at a face-off earlier this week, refusing to look away from Usyk for more than 11 minutes.
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Former heavyweight champion Lewis believes Fury's behaviour in fight week is an intentional tactic from the British fighter to gain a psychological advantage ahead of the bout.
"We know that Tyson Fury blows up, we've seen his history and know that he can get a little manic before a fight," Lewis told SPORTbible.
"This is part of the role he takes to get him in a better mood for the fight. Looking at Usyk and saying 'I hate you, I want to beat you up and knock you out', and he's actually seeing the man while he's saying it - it gives him strength."
When asked to give a prediction for the fight, Lewis was reluctant to pick a winner but was certain about one thing – that it promises to be a spectacular watch.
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"This fight is going to be epic, anything can happen in this fight. It's really down the man seizing the moment," he added.
"Whether it's the guy who has a good corner, has the good information coming out, his energy in the fight is up – not getting tired and ready to fire back.
"Usyk is a natural counter puncher, he waits for you to punch so he can punch back. And if you're not punching, he stays on the outside an picks you apart. So you've got two amazing fighters.
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"What is going to happen? Anything can happen! It only takes one punch to create history."
It has been suggested that Fury might hang up his gloves for good after facing Usyk but Lewis thinks otherwise and believes two potential fights could happen next.
"If Tyson Fury loses, I would say he probably won't retire. The biggest fight for him is Anthony Joshua and that's another great fight," added Lewis.
"If he does win, I don't think he'll retire because it will be 1-1. I always love the trilogy and I'm looking forward to that one."
How to watch Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk
This article contains affiliate links and LADbible Group will make a commission on anything purchased.
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To watch Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk go head to head, there are three options:
1.) You can watch the rematch on DAZN with no subscription required. All you need to do is buy the PPV for £24.99 and you will automatically get a seven-day free trial which you can later cancel to stop the subscription from rolling over. You’ll be able to stream the match on a range of devices including PlayStation, Chromecast, and Smart TV. If you do decide to roll over your free trial, you’ll move onto a monthly plan costing £24.99 per month and get access to over 150 fights every year, with the option to cancel with 30 days’ notice.
2.) You can also tune in live on Sky Sports Box Office (Sky channel 491). The event is priced at £24.95 for Sky customers in the UK and $27.95 if you’re based in the Republic of Ireland. Sadly Sky does not offer free trials, but Sky subscribers can book the match here and if you’re new to Sky, you can sign up here.
3.) Finally, you can watch the fight on TNT Sports with a Prime Video subscription (free for the first month then £8.99/ month), provided you have discovery+ (from £3.99/ month) as part of your subscription. If you don't fancy shelling out, you can simply cancel your subscription after the first month.
Topics: Tyson Fury, Oleksandr Usyk, Boxing, Lennox Lewis, Heavyweight Boxing, Spotlight
Rory O'Callaghan