By Ricardo Lopez Juarez
Dec 20, 2024, 17:52 PM EST
Everything has been ready for one of the most anticipated fights in world boxing in recent times after Oleksandr Usyk of Ukraine and Tyson Fury of the United Kingdom completed the weigh-in ceremony this Friday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
One day before the rematch for the world heavyweight championship, the challenger Fury surprised by registering 281 pounds (127.4 kg), while champion Usyk gave 226 pounds (102.5 kg) for a notable difference of 55 pounds. It is worth mentioning that both fighters got on the scale with clothes on a cool night in the Arab capital.
With the legendary music from the Rocky movies playing in the background, Usyk and Fury posed in front of the cameras and then had a very brief face to face that contrasted with the one on Thursday, when they spent seven minutes staring at each other until Mauricio Sulaimán, president of the Council World Boxing Championship, intervened to ease the tension.
Usyk maintained practically the same weight from the first fight, in May, but Fury arrived 19 pounds heavier than then.. That, coupled with the notable difference in height between them, suggests that on Saturday they will look very unequal in size when they appear in the ring.
Fury (34-1-1), who will seek to avenge his first loss as a professional, looked extremely serious and focused this Friday. This time there were no words or fusses that characterized him. It looked like he wanted to save as much energy as possible.
Usyk’s message in support of Ukrainian prisoners of war
Usyk (22-0), the man who will defend the WBC, WBA and WBO titles, also appeared with total seriousness and a determined face, as has been his trademark. He wore a purple suit with a traditional Ukrainian design and twice held up a banner that read “Free Azovstal Defenders.”.
The message has to do with a group of Ukrainian soldiers from the city of Mariupol who were taken as prisoners by Russia. Usyk has been heavily involved with his country’s efforts since the Russian invasion.
They then left a stage set up inside a Riyadh amusement park called Wonder Garden.
With the tremendous difference in weights that they will present on Saturday, it is clear that Fury tries to change his strategy by betting on much greater sizealthough he will presumably be less agile or faster than the champion, whom he dominated the first part of the fight on May 18 before the Ukrainian came from behind to obtain a split decision in his favor.
Usyk is a favorite this time with an approximate odds of -140 (pays 10 for every 14 bet), while Fury is +115 (for 11.5 for every 10 bet).
Keep reading:
– Bernard Hopkins believes that Oleksandr Usyk will defeat Tyson Fury again in the rematch
– The adjustments Tyson Fury must make to beat Oleksandr Usyk, according to Ricky Hatton
– Anthony Joshua expresses happiness that his compatriot Tyson Fury is not champion