Tyson Fury has been told he can make his rematch with Oleksandr Usyk “simple” by gunning for a knockout.
Fury lost for the first time as a professional when he was outpointed by Usyk in May as the Ukrainian was crowned the undisputed heavyweight world champion.
The rivals will meet again in December – this time for just three of the four belts – as Fury attempts to exact his revenge.
And former middleweight world champion Billy Joe Saunders believes a change in tactics can reap rewards. “The first five rounds was like a sparring session for him,” he told talkSPORT. “Actually, I’ve seen him have harder spars for the first five rounds than that fight. If he’s getting his own way early on, he tends to switch off.
“If he gets knocked out cold on the floor and people don’t think he’s getting up and he gets up, that’s when he switches his gears up. You’ve got to give him credit. I know there’s a lot of speculation about the ninth round, but he didn’t go down and he was still on his feet fighting.
“I’m not making any excuses for him, but I know what went on in camp and what didn’t go on in camp. I know that, even when it came to sparring and other bits and bobs, there was stuff missing out of it that needs to be rectified this time. I don’t think there’s anyone out there than can outbox Usyk. Tyson Fury, he can beat Usyk three times in one night with one simple game plan.
“It’s very, very simple how to beat him. You have to use your size. You have to use your physical advantages. Every attribute you have you need to use to full effect with this man. He’s asked me to go away [for] training camp with him, so I’m delighted to say I will be going away with him. I believe Tyson will win the next fight, and I believe that he will win by knockout as well.”
Fury and Usyk will clash three months after Anthony Joshua takes on Daniel Dubois for the latter’s IBF belt with the two winners expected to meet in 2025. Fury could take on Joshua even if he loses to Usyk, however, with boxing ringmaster Turki Alalshikh keen to pit the Brits together.
