Round-by-Round: Oleksandr Usyk vs. Tyson Fury II | PPV - 21 December 2024

[DrDuke]

It is funny I clearly remember the Furies bashing Joshua that he tried to keep boxing Usyk and not using his size advantage at all. "He should have thrown the kitchen sink "and all that talk. He should have fought like against Cunningham or Wilder the second time. Here he just tried to get away with it and was fading in the last few rounds. Where was that sense of urgency that he absoluteley wants to win? He said he will annahilate Usyk but was not going for the kill. It didnt look like that.

It seems like Usyk keeps his own game well.

[jamesmcdonnell]

I was willing him throughout the fight to throw the right but for the best part he just could not do it, he struggled to get the right off most of the rounds. If he was looser and busier with the right he could have won that fight tonight, IMO.

Usyk was doing an excellent job of circling away from it, Fury lacking the foresight and/or footspeed to make the necessary adjustments. Throwing his righthand more often as a solitary change might've given Usyk more opportunities.

He didn't have the left hook to check Usyk's movement IMO, and Usyk both recognised and exploited that. For the most part Fury seemed reluctant to gamble on opening his guard that wide, given their speed disparity. The big looped lefts he did throw were usually telegraphed when Usyk was maintaining neutral, not tight and sharp in and out of exchanges when Usyk likes to reset. Fury at 245 might've been the medicine.

Once again Usyk's mobility compensated for his reach handicap, but most surprising to me was how - whether through tiredness or choice - he engaged in clinches towards the end, acquitting himself well and even pushing Fury back at one point. My guess is he knew he had the tank for some grappling down the stretch because he'd avoided it early, and it gave Fury another aspect to consider.

Peak Holyfield would be about as bad a matchup for Fury as I can imagine.

Just before the fight started I was thinking how confident I'd be in the Holy from Bowe II against 281 Fury.

He didn't have Usyk's feet and probably would've suffered for it, but could've taken Fury's best and kept plugging.

Holyfield would have smashed Fury to bits.

[keithmoonhangover]

Sugar Hill Stewart was poor in the corner.

[smiling assassin]

I was willing him throughout the fight to throw the right but for the best part he just could not do it, he struggled to get the right off most of the rounds. If he was looser and busier with the right he could have won that fight tonight, IMO.

Usyk was doing an excellent job of circling away from it, Fury lacking the foresight and/or footspeed to make the necessary adjustments. Throwing his righthand more often as a solitary change might've given Usyk more opportunities.

He didn't have the left hook to check Usyk's movement IMO, and Usyk both recognised and exploited that. For the most part Fury seemed reluctant to gamble on opening his guard that wide, given their speed disparity. The big looped lefts he did throw were usually telegraphed when Usyk was maintaining neutral, not tight and sharp in and out of exchanges when Usyk likes to reset. Fury at 245 might've been the medicine.

Once again Usyk's mobility compensated for his reach handicap, but most surprising to me was how - whether through tiredness or choice - he engaged in clinches towards the end, acquitting himself well and even pushing Fury back at one point. My guess is he knew he had the tank for some grappling down the stretch because he'd avoided it early, and it gave Fury another aspect to consider.

Peak Holyfield would be about as bad a matchup for Fury as I can imagine.

Just before the fight started I was thinking how confident I'd be in the Holy from Bowe II against 281 Fury.

He didn't have Usyk's feet and probably would've suffered for it, but could've taken Fury's best and kept plugging.

Holyfield would have smashed Fury to bits.

I don’t think you’ll get many disagreeing with that

[NazNaci1]

If nothing else, I do hope this puts to rest the stupid idea that 'smaller' heavyweights wouldn't stand a chance against the super heavies of today.

Exactly. Part of the problem with this generation is that it is geared around being much bigger, heavier etc....when you don't need to be, to beat them or to be the best.

Height, weight and reach advantages are big advantages

Yes, but as Keith said, if you can use them properly. Too many of the modern era are just bigger and heavier. Uysk is roughly the same size as Ali, Holmes, Holyfield etc...and proving it is good enough. Lennox, Wlad are examples of guys who knew how to use their advantages.

Most of todays giants, lack the basics to do this. Could be partly down to the fact that there are no Eddie Futch's, George Bentons, Manny Stewards, Angelo Dundee's etc around today,

[NazNaci1]

Holyfield would have smashed Fury to bits.

I don’t think you’ll get many disagreeing with that

I wouldn't disagree.

[hhaehre]

Holyfield would have smashed Fury to bits.

I don’t think you’ll get many disagreeing with that

I wouldn't disagree.

Yeah, I don't know though. As much as I liked Holyfield he alway took a lot of punches and Fury is a pretty accurate puncher against most guys not named Usyk. Holy was always exiting to watch, but let's not forget that he went life and death against a guy like Bert Cooper and that old man Foreman had no problems hitting him.

[(craig)]

On a different issue, whilst he’s not everyone’s cup of tea, given the personal hell he has been through I was a bit emotional hearing Adam smith on comms. In saying that, I’ve sort of missed the coverage that talk sport did for fight 1 minus the rights. I often watch that back on YouTube!

What is happening with Mike Costello, such a big noise when he joined dazn. I would love him to return to the 5 live pod if he’s out of work.

I had a dodgy stream that conveniently cut out for the main event. Smith was commentating on this stream and he wound me up no end. The bloke seems to despise silence, prefering to fill the air time making obvious or completly biased comments and dont get me started on that attempted 'growl'

For the main event I switched to 5live and was greeted with the vocabulary wizardry of Ronald Mackintosh, spitting out lines such as "their arms are entwined like a pretzel" it's hard not to like him, but Mike Costello is the goat at radio commentary, he failed to transition over to TV and I do miss him on the wireless.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Dubois is such a chode. Sit down, you quit like a bitch after a jab last time.

And he still has to get past Parker
Looking ahead, and not at who is in front of you doesn't tend to go well.

I think it was down to Frank that. He was pissed so he told Dubois to get in the ring and make some noise.

Even the DAZN interviewer was embarrassed. Let Usyk have his moment.

[golden_labrador]

On a different issue, whilst he’s not everyone’s cup of tea, given the personal hell he has been through I was a bit emotional hearing Adam smith on comms. In saying that, I’ve sort of missed the coverage that talk sport did for fight 1 minus the rights. I often watch that back on YouTube!

What is happening with Mike Costello, such a big noise when he joined dazn. I would love him to return to the 5 live pod if he’s out of work.

I had a dodgy stream that conveniently cut out for the main event. Smith was commentating on this stream and he wound me up no end. The bloke seems to despise silence, prefering to fill the air time making obvious or completly biased comments and dont get me started on that attempted 'growl'

For the main event I switched to 5live and was greeted with the vocabulary wizardry of Ronald Mackintosh, spitting out lines such as "their arms are entwined like a pretzel" it's hard not to like him, but Mike Costello is the goat at radio commentary, he failed to transition over to TV and I do miss him on the wireless.

I miss Costello on 5live too. Ronald is not bad but isn't Costello. Andy Lee is good too, but obviously was elsewhere last night

[Blueprint]

Thank God usyk has destroyed the "fury is the best of our generation" narrative from a few years ago.

[joshj909]

Thank God usyk has destroyed the "fury is the best of our generation" narrative from a few years ago.

But he's the size of Valuev, moves like Mayweather and hits as hard as Joshua?

[forcefraser]

Fury didn't have the engine for 12 rounds with Usyk. He was far too passive.

Lost it by 3 rounds for me.

[Nightmare Roy]

Thank God usyk has destroyed the "fury is the best of our generation" narrative from a few years ago.

Yeah that was started by those tits on talk sport who don't k ow what they are talking about, what had he ever done to warrant that talk?

[jamesmcdonnell]

I don’t think you’ll get many disagreeing with that

I wouldn't disagree.

Yeah, I don't know though. As much as I liked Holyfield he alway took a lot of punches and Fury is a pretty accurate puncher against most guys not named Usyk. Holy was always exiting to watch, but let's not forget that he went life and death against a guy like Bert Cooper and that old man Foreman had no problems hitting him.

Fury isn't heavy handed enough, and fights nothing like cooper who liked to fight in the pocket.

[joshj909]

One thing a friend mentioned to me during the fight: remember when Fury was a powerful puncher against Wilder and did the flappy punching? He hasn't done that since. Not to buy into the conspiracy but Fury hasn't done that punching or had that power since just curious

[Ruthless-RKO]

That one guy towards the end that says,

“You’re not gonna get anything in these countries”



Ben probably had him losing too, but didn’t want to say it.

[Ruthless-RKO]

[Nightmare Roy]

That one guy towards the end that says,

“You’re not gonna get anything in these countries”



Ben probably had him losing too, but didn’t want to say it.

For sure they way he said I thought it was dead close

[Coco]

Dubois is such a chode. Sit down, you quit like a bitch after a jab last time.

And he still has to get past Parker
Looking ahead, and not at who is in front of you doesn't tend to go well.

I think it was down to Frank that. He was pissed so he told Dubois to get in the ring and make some noise.

Even the DAZN interviewer was embarrassed. Let Usyk have his moment.

He should have told DDD that he would knock him out with a jab again

[tony1234]

For a show it flowed nicely with not too much space between fights and as I started watching after the football it went well.
I watched the TNT coverage on Virgin and Fletcher and Woodall commentating seemed to over state Fury's punches whilst ignoring Usyk whacking back.

There is no mileage in another fight and I would have thought Fury will go for Joshua if he wants to fight again. I wonder if Dubois or Parker gets a convenient injury so Dubois can have a fight with Usyk first ?

[forcefraser]

I paid for DAZN and just before the main flight it started cutting out and freezing

Had to watch it on a dodgy stream that worked perfectly. It was the Sky coverage

[Jimmy2025]

FW understandably getting grief. There's probably a bedouin tribesmen stood at his tent door as I type wondering what the red-faced shouty man waving papers in his face is going on about.

Can't knock his zeal, though. True grafter.

[Coco]

Didn't like that they ruined eye of the tiger with that awful drummer

[keithmoonhangover]

Didn't like that they ruined eye of the tiger with that awful drummer

I wish I could whack the rims like that.

EDIT: I think that came out wrong.