prediction
Tyson Fury proved himself to be the best heavyweight in the world again on Saturday after he defeated Deontay Wilder in an all-time classic title fight.
The Gypsy King scored a knockout victory in the eleventh round and retained his WBC heavyweight title in the process. It’s believed he’ll be ordered to face mandatory challenger Dillian Whyte next.
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Should he defeat Whyte or skip the fight entirely, and should Oleksandr Usyk retain in his rematch with Anthony Joshua early next year, Fury could be on a collision course with the Ukrainian for the undisputed title fight.
If that ends up happening, retired former two-weight world champion Andre Ward believes Usyk could not defeat Fury.
“He’s not going to beat Tyson Fury. Tyson Fury is just not some big lumbering guy. He’s skillful; he can fight,” said Andre Ward to Behind The Gloves when asked about his thoughts on Fury fighting IBF/WBA/WBO champion Oleksandr Usyk for the undisputed title.
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“It’s just too much mass, I think [for Usyk], but Anthony Joshua has to fight Usyk in a rematch,” Ward continued. “So I think Tyson Fury should fight the winner, whoever it is, and try and get another belt.
“If successful, ride off into the sunset. He has nothing else left to prove,” said Ward.
Ward managed to do that ending his career unbeaten, so it's no surprise he's offering that advice.
Many consider Usyk the favourite for his rematch with Joshua given how dominant he was during the home stretch of their bout in September, but Ward believes Joshua can claim his titles back.
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“I think he can, but he needs to change some things,” Ward said when asked if Joshua could beat Usyk in the rematch. “He needs to keep getting that mass off of him like he did try to do in the first fight.
“He [Joshua] showed us that he can make adjustments like he did with Andy Ruiz. So I don’t think we can count him out. I know people are writing him off, but that’s what people do in boxing.
“They want to be the first person to say, ‘Oh, he’s going to be the guy,’ and the first person to jump off the ship when something bad happens. He [Joshua] can make the necessary adjustments [to beat Usyk].
“I was going back and forth with another person the other day. They were talking about Anthony Joshua doesn’t have a heart. I’m like, ‘Bro; you don’t get where he got as an amateur and as a pro not having heart.’
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“He just didn’t know what to do. You see him thinking like, ‘Man, how do I stop this smaller guy from hitting me.’ He just didn’t know. Get him a blueprint on what you need to do.
“Be the bigger man and come from behind the jab. Don’t get caught up in a boxing match.
“Don’t try and be cute. Be the bigger man, impose your will and let’s get this guy out of here. If he does that, I think he can win,” said Ward.