By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
Ladies and gentlemen, it’s a done deal. Tyson Fury will be going up against Oleksandr Usyk for boxing’s heavyweight division supremacy.
The development was announced last November 17, 2023, after both fighters held a press conference to confirm their heavyweight match.
The world title fight will happen on February 17, 2023, to be held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where four belts will be at stake.
Usyk is currently the champion of the World Boxing Association (WBA), World Boxing Organization (WBO) and the International Boxing Federation (IBF).
On the other hand, Fury will be putting his World Boxing Council (WBC) heavyweight belt on the line, a title he snatched after defeating the heavy-hitting Deontay Wilder.
Fury is fresh off a victory over former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) heavyweight king Francis Ngannou last month and is looking to extend his winning streak.
Despite the controversial win, Fury still showed his technical boxing skills when he wore Ngannou out in the later rounds with his ring mastery.
The jab was still there, the calculated counter-punching, and his signature right-hand straight that became one of his weapons in his success during the past years.
Meanwhile, Usyk is also coming off an impressive victory after knocking out Daniel Dubois last August 26, 2023.
However, Usyk will have to prove that ring rust will become a disadvantage as he missed setting foot in the ring for nearly six months.
The undercard bouts of the Fury-Usyk blockbuster fight are yet to be announced but both fighters already signed their respective contracts and will now enter training camp.
