Oleksandr Usyk vs. Tyson Fury 2: Five biggest storylines to watch in their second heavyweight title fight

In a rematch of their spectacular undisputed heavyweight championship bout from May, Oleksandr Usyk (22-0, 14 KOs) and Tyson Fury (34-1-1, 24 KOs) will clash for a second time on Saturday from Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. 

All four recognized world titles will not be at stake in this second meeting between the two premier heavyweights of the last decade due to the IBF stripping Usyk for choosing a rematch with Fury over defending his title against a mandatory opponent. Usyk’s WBC, WBO, WBA and lineal titles will be on the line, however, as will be the title of the best heavyweight of this modern renaissance era.

As we get closer to this weekend’s showdown, let’s take a closer look at the biggest storylines entering Saturday. 

1. Oleksandr Usyk must climb the mountain for a second time … again

In what is more an indictment upon recent trends in global elite boxing, a contractually obligated rematch in a big fight has become the norm this century, which typically means the B-side fighter in any given superfight must win twice before he/she can move on with their career. In this case, of course, very few are complaining considering the first Usyk-Fury fight in May was such an instant classic featuring ebbs and flows of momentum, sustained two-way action and an extremely close trio of scorecards (114-113 for Fury; 114-113 and 115-112 Usyk). For the 37-year-old Usyk, however, it’s just another opportunity for the southpaw native of Ukraine to continually show us his greatness. 

The same thing happened to Usyk ahead of his first heavyweight title bout in 2021 when he signed a two-fight deal to face unified champion Anthony Joshua and ultimately came away with a pair of close yet convincing decision wins. But for a boxer who captured gold at the 2012 Olympics before becoming the first undisputed, four-belt champion in cruiserweight history, all of these extra contract shenanigans have allowed Usyk to further enhance his heavyweight resume in such a short time period. Usyk, who joined Terence Crawford, Claressa Shields and Katie Taylor as the only boxers in history to win all four recognized titles in two different divisions (after unifying titles with Fury), is entering just his seventh heavyweight bout since officially moving up in weight in 2019. But of those seven fights, five of them will have come against Fury, Joshua and Daniel Dubois (current IBF titleholder). That’s what greatness is all about. 

2. Look out for a rejuvenated, hungry Tyson Fury in the rematch

Make no mistake about it, Fury fought well in May and had an outside argument that the split decision loss could’ve gone his way. The 36-year-old Fury, who enters the rematch as a slight betting underdog for the first time since his 2020 rematch with Deontay Wilder, fought well in the first half against Usyk as he established himself to the body and stung his smaller opponent with uppercuts on the inside. But once Usyk was able to make some key mid-fight adjustments, Fury was forced to bite down and survive a wild Round 9 that saw him ruled down when the ropes held him up as Usyk looked one punch away from finishing him. When taking stock of their performances in the first fight, it’s almost a universal belief that Usyk exceeded pre-fight expectations, particularly from the standpoint of power punching, while Fury came up a bit short. Some of that could be due to the miscarriage Fury’s wife, Paris, suffered the night before the bout. Even though the news was withheld from Fury by his team, his wife’s absence on fight night was enough of a tell that something wasn’t right. Regardless of how much that affected Fury, there was a feeling throughout the second half of the bout, as Usyk surprisingly walked him down with power shots, that Fury was more shocked about the development than anyone else. Does that mean Fury underestimated Usyk ahead of such a huge fight? It’s possible. Either way, the only thing Fury can do is improve, which makes the expectations for a rematch to be just as close on the scorecards — despite Fury’s rematch prediction of a knockout — in the second fight. 

3. Both heavyweights are set to take home absolutely massive purses

While it’s difficult to prove whether or not the Usyk-Fury fight series would’ve ever gotten off the ground in 2024 without the deep-pocketed financial support of Turki Alalshikh and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, both heavyweights are greatly benefitting from the business relationship. According to reports, Usyk and Fury split a total purse of $150 million for their first meeting, with Fury getting 70% of that as the bigger star (and defending lineal champion) entering the fight. But for the rematch, reports have surfaced that the total purse has been increased to upwards of $200 million, with Usyk expected to take home a guarantee of 60% (not counting pay-per-view revenue) or $114 million. Even if the reported figures are a tad bit more bloated than the actual truth (which some have questioned), professional boxing hasn’t seen guaranteed purses even close to this level since Floyd Mayweather defeated Manny Pacquiao and Conor McGregor in a pair of superfights last decade that set new records for live gate revenue and PPV buys. That’s some serious cheddar.

4. Fury needs to use his size as a weapon

While that’s a strategy easier said than done against someone with the dazzling footwork of the 6-foot-3 Usyk, let’s not forget that the first meeting saw the smaller fighter walk down and take it to Fury during the bout’s biggest moments. Fury may not be the full 6-foot-9 that he’s listed as, but he’s definitely the bigger fighter in just about every category. And while Fury’s seven-inch reach advantage needs to be better managed behind a stiff jab that the southpaw Usyk took away from him at key times, there’s no bigger advantage for Fury than that of the weight. Fury entered their May clash just shy of 40 pounds heavier than the 223-pound Usyk but was rarely able to cut off the ring against Usyk and use it to his advantage by leaning on his opponent and mucking up the fight. This could be a key part of Fury’s strategy for the rematch by forcing the referee to get involved throughout. Fury can lean and he can fight dirty at times, if needed. But if he doesn’t find a way to frustrate or slow down Usyk, a repeat of their first fight could play out once more. This could also open the door for Fury to go to the body more often, which co-promoter Frank Warren of Queensberry Promotions has gone on record saying is a weakness for Usyk and has been dating back to the amateurs. 

5. Fury can join an elite circle by avenging his loss to Usyk

Unbeaten in 22 fights, Usyk has an opportunity to only extend his historically relevant pro career by adding a second victory over a name as prestigious and legendary as Fury. But what about the “Gypsy King?” What would a victory net him beyond a lucrative trilogy bout against Usyk and the opportunity to finally face Joshua in an all-England showdown that has been anticipated for years? Fury can join a select group of all-time greats by becoming just the fifth boxer in history to win a piece of the heavyweight title on three separate occasions. Just four others have done such a thing and all are Hall of Famers recognized among the best in the division’s history: Muhammad Ali, Evander Holyfield, Lennox Lewis and Vitali Klitschko (the WBO title Michael Moorer won in 1992 was not yet universally recognized as a major world title at the time).