For the longest time, Tyson Fury has been telling us all he is “the greatest heavyweight who ever lived.” Now, perhaps showing a little more restraint, the unbeaten 35 year old says a win over Oleksandr Usyk will make him the greatest ever. Fury fully and readily acknowledges how Usyk is the toughest and the best opponent of his entire career. And Fury says a win over the skilled southpaw from Ukraine on Saturday will be enough for him to go down as the greatest.
No, not everyone will agree with this. In fact many fans, historians and fellow fighters will disagree strongly that with a win over Usyk, Fury will vault above true greats such as Muhammad Ali, Joe Louis, Larry Holmes, George Foreman, and Lennox Lewis. Maybe – maybe – Fury will deserve to go down as the greatest heavyweight of his era if he convincingly defeats Usyk; although quite a few people say Fury still has to take on and defeat Anthony Joshua to earn the distinction.
But Fury never seems too interested in a fight with Joshua whenever the subject is brought up. For now at least, Fury is focused on Usyk and Usyk alone.
“I think he’s the best opponent I’ve ever faced, because I’ve fought world heavyweight champions before or undefeated people before, I’ve fought Olympic gold medal [winners] before, but I’ve never fought a two-weight world champion before. So I think that puts him at the top of it all,” Fury said of Usyk when speaking with DAZN. “I think this win puts me at No. 1, barring none. Beating Usyk now puts me No. 1 status of all time.”
Fury has been somewhat uncharacteristically respectful of Usyk as this fight has got ever closer, with Fury also listing in the above comments his rival’s fine qualities. Fury loves to talk trash but he is all business here, and this is just what he needs in order to win. Fury knows, and has perhaps known for some time, that he cannot get inside Usyk’s head the way he got into Wladimir Klitschko’s head, or got into Deontay Wilder’s head. This fight will be won purely in the ring, not in any way outside of it.
But if Fury does get the win – and he says it’s contracted that he will then fight Usyk a second time, no ifs or buts – where does it put him in terms of all-time greatness? Top 10? Top 15? Or maybe you think higher. Some people have said that Fury, as athletic and as fast and as effective as he is in the ring, would have competed in any era. A commanding win over Usyk will strengthen this belief.
But what would a loss do to Fury’s legacy and overall standing amongst the giants? Indeed, everything is on the line in this fight. Not just those four belts.
