Undisputed heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk will face Tyson Fury for a second time on December 21 later this year; Usyk beat Fury by split decision in first fight earlier this month; Sky Sports Boxing's Johnny Nelson gives his thoughts on what Fury needs to do before the rematch
Thursday 30 May 2024 14:31, UK
Sky Sports Boxing's Johnny Nelson believes Tyson Fury needs to make changes to his corner if he wants to beat Oleksandr Usyk in their rematch - and even questioned whether Fury has the appetite for a rematch.
Fury appeared to be given mixed messages in his corner throughout his original bout against Usyk, with his father John Fury, trainer Sugar Hill Steward and assistant Andy Lee all seen talking to him.
The 35-year-old lost by split decision and on Wednesday, a rematch between Fury and Usyk was confirmed for December 21 in Saudi Arabia...
Tyson Fury chose the wrong tactics. Will he have learned the lesson? If he has, I don't think it will be the same result. We saw the success he had midway through the fight.
My main concern between now and then is Tyson's mental appetite for this rematch, knowing that Usyk had the better of him once.
Tyson is an unbelievable historian of our sport. For him to get his head around that, to get his self-belief around, that's going to be very hard for him.
If you have been at the top of the tree and you believe you're the best in the world, no matter what, then all of a sudden somebody gets the better of you, it's very hard to accept that.
It's very hard to think, 'I did everything right, I prepared right, I was in amazing condition' - the best condition we have seen him for years. So what can you change?
A lot needs to be changed in the back room. We heard three voices shouting at him left, right and centre in the corner, out of desperation I assume and misreading the fight, thinking he was ahead.
For Tyson, he's got to have a serious conversation with his team. There needs to be somebody that has his ear, that he listens to and respects, to give him that confidence by saying, 'you can do this and you can turn this around'.
Tyson is one of the best all-round fighters out there. He's a good boxer, he's a good fighter. But unfortunately, you can be too smart.
Tyson outsmarted himself to the point where he had to try to outbox Usyk, who was the better boxer. Not the better fighter, the better boxer.
Hopefully, he's learned from that lesson and thought, 'I'm not doing that', using physicality and using anything that got him to this point in the first place. I think the biggest mountain to climb is that mental scar that's left on him to deal with it.
There needs to be organisation. He needs to get rid of the people that are there to say, 'yes, no, yes, no'.
He needs to be further developing and that's part of the responsibility of being a champion.
I'm not in this camp, but from what I saw and the things I hear, that's what he needs to address. If he doesn't address it's going to be exactly the same thing again.
He needs one chef, one main voice, a voice he respects. If he doesn't, mark my words, it wouldn't surprise me if the same thing happened again and it wouldn't surprise me if he didn't get in the ring on December 21.
It will be so hard for him to climb that mountain, mentally once again. I understand the mentality of a fighter and for Tyson Fury, it's the first time he's tasted defeat in such a manner.
He ticked every box and did everything right, apart from the team around him.
Unfortunately, we have the reputation of when it comes to sport of being hooligans around the world. To have that kind of reputation and display, what does that say about us? What does that say about our sport? What does that say that say about as sportsmen and sportswomen.
To me, I don't think Tyson Fury needs that kind of distraction because I'm quite sure when the cameras were gone, he said to his dad: 'What's going on?'
It wasn't something you just dismiss and brush over. If you see blood coming out of your dad's head, you're going to be concerned of what's gone on. Then you will see the knock-on effects of that.
I do not care who he is. That would have affected the status quo in some way on fight week. You do not need that. Your main concentration is the guy you are fighting and getting the job done, not what happens on the week building up to it. It's the last thing you need.
His pace was key. That stood him out. He rode the storm. Fury wasn't consistent with his work rate and that's where Usyk's determination, belief, hard work, it all paid off. For him, I would do exactly the same thing. Why do you even attempt to change anything?
Fury tried to outbox the better boxer. He didn't try to outfight him but tried to outbox him and played him at his own game.
It's quite clear, Usyk physically shouldn't be able to outfight Fury and he didn't have to, he just outboxed him and outstayed him.
