Frank Warren has addressed reports that Tyson Fury is piling on the weight for his rematch with Oleksandr Usyk.
‘The Gypsy King’ was handed the first defeat of his professional career by Usyk in May via split decision, but he will get a second bite at the cherry on December 21 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
3Fury looks heavy in recent images from his campCredit: Instagram – Tyson Fury
In the lead-up to their second fight, Fury has promised a knockout – and in order to achieve that, talkSPORT’s Gareth A Davies claims the Brit is aiming to come in a stone heavier for his upcoming sequel with Usyk.
Fury weighed (18st 10lbs/262lbs) for their inaugural encounter but Davies recently disclosed that the two-time heavyweight world champion wants to be around the 19st 7lbs mark (273lbs) next time out.
“When Tyson beat Klitschko nine years ago he was a 27-year-old, very light on his feet, he bamboozled opponents with those telescopic arms, his movement and tying fighters up,” said Davies on talkSPORT Fight Night earlier this month.
“That version went away in the three fights with Deontay Wilder, certainly, the second and third fights where he became a bigger hitter at 19 and a half stone.
“I’m told internally from his camp that is where they intend him to be for Usyk in this fight, 19 and a half stone.”
When this was put to Warren on talkSPORT’s White and Jordan show on Thursday afternoon by Spencer Oliver, Warren declared that he was against the idea of Fury coming in heavier.
“He will come in at what weight he feels comfortable at,” said the Queensberry Boxing chief.
“I don’t like guys coming in heavy for the sake of coming in heavy.
“I like guys to come in at a weight where they are mobile and that’s the art of boxing – being mobile and the art of hitting and not being hit.
“And he’s a great exponent of that, he is a good boxer.
3Warren thinks Fury will come in at a ‘comfortable weight’Credit: GETTY
3Fury and Usyk will meet again at the back end of December -Credit: AFP
“If he’s fully concentrated, fully focused, as you have seen in his last few fights he is a handful for anybody.
“And he has been on the floor in his last few fights, that is a fact of life.
“But Usyk has been hurt in his last few fights as well.
“Whatever way you want to look at it legitimate or not, he was seriously hurt in that fight against Daniel Dubois and Tyson wobbled him a couple of times at the end of that seventh round.
“He looked in trouble and most people sitting at ringside, certainly where I was sitting, thought Tyson was going to stop him.
“But he came out and got back into the fight. But they can hurt each other. They can both hurt each other.
“It depends on who’s learned the most from being in the ring, sharing that ring for 12 rounds, looking at their strengths and respective strengths and weaknesses, and, more importantly, who can capitalize on that, who’s got the ability still to do that?
“Because, as you said earlier on, they’re not young guys now.
“It will be an exciting fight. There’s no doubt about it. Like the first one was.”
