Heavyweight Undisputed Clash: Trainers Weigh In on Fury vs. Usyk

Trainers Offer Insights Ahead of Heavyweight Showdown

Ahead of the highly anticipated undisputed heavyweight title fight between WBC champion Tyson Fury and WBA, WBO and IBF champion Oleksandr Usyk in Riyadh on Saturday night, BoxingScene spoke to three leading trainers to discuss how the clash could unfold.

“I’ve been in boxing too long. Fifty years. I know the reality of it. It’s something to feel good about for the sport and the fans – that you’re going to have one heavyweight champ, but I also know that 10 minutes later they’ll be stripping someone.” – Teddy Atlas, Boxing Hall of Fame Inductee

Shane McGuigan, the 2023 British Boxing Board of Control Trainer of the Year, is excited about the technical aspects of the fight, but doesn’t believe it will be a historic classic:

“I don’t believe so. I think it will be a technically interesting fight – it will be a fundamentally exciting fight to watch in terms of from a technical aspect.”

Robert Garcia, who trains WBC super-flyweight champion Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez, is looking forward to the bout but admits he’s not overly enthusiastic if he’s not directly involved:

“If I have nothing to do with it and I don’t have any future fighters involved I’m not that excited, but I am looking forward to the fight.”

When asked which fighter they would prefer to work with, the trainers had differing opinions. Atlas favored Fury, while McGuigan and Garcia expressed a preference for Usyk, citing the Ukrainian’s work ethic and technical abilities.

As for who they see winning the fight, the trainers were again divided. Atlas and Garcia leaned towards Usyk, while McGuigan gave the edge to the Gypsy King. The trainers also discussed the expected style of the fight, with Fury looking to impose his size and power, while Usyk seeks to use his superior footwork and angles to outmaneuver the larger champion.

🔗 Source