No professional opponent had beaten Tyson Fury until a brilliant display by Oleksandr Usyk in May saw the Ukrainian become the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world.
It was the first time Fury’s hand was not raised at the end of a fight since Russian amateur Maxim Babanin beat him in 2007.
The Briton’s unbeaten record was a source of great pride, but moving on to the second leg, which takes place live this Saturday Sky Sports box officeFury did not comment on the loss.
“I was undefeated as a boxer for 17 years. That’s a long time,” Fury said Sky Sports.
“I didn’t really think about it. It didn’t affect me, I didn’t do anything other than what I would do if I got the decision.
“I wouldn’t do anything else if I got the decision. I didn’t really think about it to be fair. I don’t even focus on the past, I just focus on it. the day in hand.”
Oleksandr Usyk v Tyson Fury rematch on Saturday live on Sky Sports Box Office
But he couldn’t deny that the reverse gave him a new edge for the rematch.
“Sometimes I think if I’m going to run in something, I think it’s true that this (person) made a decision about me, I want to change it in the rematch.
“Obviously I’m a competitor, I’m competitive, so that’s how I think.”
Top Rank’s Bob Arum, who co-wrote Fury, sees a fighter fired up by that first loss. , – said Arum. Sky Sports.
“In other words, he’s always trained hard, but the commitment for this one is a lot more than it’s been for any other fight, other than maybe the second (Deontay) Wilder fight.”
Famously, after a controversial draw in his first fight with Wilder, Fury barged into the American and stopped him in their rematch.
Undercard fighter Isaac Lowe, who has trained with Fury since he was a kid and knows him better than most, is convinced the former champion will also come out of this trouble.
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Fury promises to cause “a lot of pain” in his rematch with Usik
“Look at his history, when he gets knocked down or whatever, he always comes back and knocks the other guy out,” Lowe said. Sky Sports.
“I’m waiting for the best version of Tyson Fury. He’s got to do the little things right, and I think little changes here and there will make a difference. that he will go and do a series this time.
“Everybody has written him off in his career. When he got to 30 stone, before boxing (Wladimir) Klitschko, when it was the Wilder fight, this and that, and he always comes back against the odds and does it.
“What a stage to do this time?”
It was a high-pressure, high-profile event when Fury fought Usyk for the first time, but Fury’s youth provides another clue as to how he will respond to the loss.
In 2006, Tyson Fury boxed David Price in the Northwest Finals of the ABA National Championship. It may seem like a trivial matter, but at the time in the amateur circuit it was as big as it could get.
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Moses Itauma says that Fury’s mindset has completely changed as he has trained as a “lone wolf” and is coming for revenge.
At the time, Macaulay McGowan was training with Fury at Jimmy Egan’s amateur boxing club.
Recalling the moment, McGowan recounted Sky Sports“It was just a North West final. Obviously David Price was going to the Commonwealth Games. He came out of nowhere trashing him on Boxing News and all that.
“It turned out a few weeks later that David Price didn’t even bother with the ABAs, but then he saw Tyson trashing him on Boxing News.
“It was a big fight. It was like an undisputed world champion fight, I remember that. He wanted the 2008 Olympic spot and he was given the chance to prove it.”
Fury lost that decision to Price. “He was kind of down, (thinking) ‘I’m never going to do this.'” Then he goes back to the gym and he trains harder goes,” McGowan recalls.
“He won the ABA and then it’s like water off his back. Don’t get me wrong, he’s dead, he’s devastated I mean he wanted to feel it again so he went down and went harder.
“I see Tyson going. “No, you’re not having it this time” and hangs his head.
“I think he’ll come back stronger, for sure.”
The epic heavyweight fight between Alexander Usyk and Tyson Fury will be live on Saturday, December 21st. Sky Sports box office. Book Usyk v Fury 2 now!
