Tyson Fury v Oleksandr Usyk: 'Two men with massive legacies' – Steve Bunce on questions facing both boxers

Steve Bunce is intrigued by the approaches which Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk will deploy in their undisputed heavyweight showdown on February 17.

WBC title holder Fury takes on Usyk, who holds the WBA, WBO and IBF Championship belts, with the winner becoming undisputed heavyweight champion in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

The TNT Sports boxing pundit questioned whether Fury would utilise his ring craft against the more diminutive Ukrainian, or opt for the power used to dismantle Deontay Wilder.

“We've seen three or four different versions of Tyson Fury,” Bunce told TNT Sports.

“There’s the smart-thinking fighter that uses the ring, and the one that walked through Deontay Wilder. Which one of those two beats Usyk easier?”

Meanwhile, Bunce explained that Usyk may adopt a similar style to the one used to beat Anthony Joshua twice, given his smaller size. Usyk stands at 6'3", well adrift of Fury's billed height of 6'9".

"And which Usyk beats Tyson Fury? Is it the Usyk that wasn't bothered by Anthony Joshua's size and baulk? A man that slipped under punches, moved this way, moved that way, countered and responded?" Bunce continued.

“There are loads of imponderables. That's what it should be like, it's two unbeaten heavyweight champions finally fighting.

“We've waited a long, long time for this.”

Bunce has also seen a notable mentality shift from both fighters, who were perhaps fortunate to win their last bouts.

Fury won via a split decision against Francis Ngannou in Riyadh last month, while Usyk stopped Daniel Dubois in the ninth round of his title defence in August after being dropped by a controversial low blow in the fifth.

“I've spoken to the pair of them already, and they have both got very serious heads on,” Bunce explained.

“It’s a very different head to the one that Fury had a couple of weeks ago when he fought Francis Ngannou, and Usyk had a very different head to the one in summer when he beat Daniel Dubois in Poland.

“It's two men with massive legacies, two men chasing that coveted title, and it is a big title. It's not something you just casually win. No one's ever done it. Lennox Lewis held three of the belts, and that was last century.

“All four belts are on the line here.”

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