Promoter Eddie Hearn is on his way next week out to Saudi Arabia to watch Oleksandr Usyk vs Tyson Fury 2.
Likely the biggest heavyweight title fight of all time, in many ways.
Most favor Usyk to win and Fury is a big underdog but Hearn wants to see his countryman to win.
Speaking to Talk Sport with Simon Jordan Hearn said:
“Simon, your old friend from the past is with us—not in the studio, but via Zoom—and we’re delighted to have him here. Boxing promoter and Matchroom Sport chairman Eddie Hearn joins us live.
Host: Eddie, good afternoon!
Eddie: Good afternoon, gentlemen. How are you?
Host: Very well, thank you. Simon is here with me, as is Spencer. We were just discussing Fury vs. Usyk 2. Eddie, I don’t know about you, but when we’re asked in the street, in this building, or anywhere, “Who do you think will win?”—one minute I say Fury, the next I say Usyk. Are you asked that all the time?Eddie: Yes, I just did an interview about it. I think it’s tough for anyone to pick Tyson Fury to win this fight with a level head. It’s going to be incredibly close—just like the last one. From what we saw from Usyk in the first fight, with his ability to adapt and process information, it’s very hard to bet against him.
I want Fury to win. I believe he can win, but he’ll need to do something extraordinary, as we’ve seen him do before. However, looking at it logically, it’s hard not to pick Oleksandr Usyk. Still, I hope Fury pulls off something special.
Host: Can Fury do it at this stage of his career? Is he getting a little worn out from all the wars?
Eddie: I think both of them are. I expected the first fight to be a bore, but it was unbelievable. I think this one will be brilliant too. I can only see it being another thriller.
Host: I agree. In the last fight, we thought Fury’s size would dominate, but Usyk controlled the early exchanges with his jab and ring generalship. Do you think Fury can roll back the years?
Eddie: Usyk deserves more credit for the first fight. He walked down, backed up, and at times beat up a man who is almost 20 stone and 6’8″. Usyk is a small heavyweight—I didn’t think he could do that.
If Fury wants to win, he must change something. Being overly aggressive might play into Usyk’s hands because he’s a counterpuncher. On the other hand, Fury can’t box defensively like he did in parts of the first fight. He must adapt, but Usyk can handle any style, making him very tough to beat.
Host: What does this mean for Anthony Joshua?
Eddie: For AJ, it opens doors. If Fury wins, we can make Fury vs. Joshua for the Unified World Heavyweight Championship, the biggest fight in boxing. If Fury loses, there’s still potential for an AJ-Fury matchup, possibly even a two-fight series before they both retire.
There are only two fights left for AJ in my view: a Daniel Dubois rematch or a Fury fight. I don’t think there’s any interest in interim fights against random top-15 opponents.
Host: Commercially speaking, what’s better—Fury or Usyk winning?
Eddie: Fury winning, as long as we can make the fight. If His Excellency weren’t involved or there wasn’t a relationship between me and Frank Warren, I couldn’t promise it. But now, I’m confident we can make it happen because of Riyadh Season and the financial incentives.
If Fury wins, the AJ fight becomes monumental. If Fury and Usyk have a classic and Fury wins, there’s also a potential rematch. But the biggest commercial option is still Fury vs. AJ for the unified title.
Host: If Usyk wins and retires, vacating the belts, would Fury and Joshua still fight for titles?
Eddie: It’s possible, but I don’t think Usyk will retire right after winning. He doesn’t have many appealing fights left, but I doubt he’ll vacate the belts immediately.
Host: Where is AJ mentally after the Dubois defeat?
Eddie: He’s hurting. Publicly, he’s always gracious, but losing in such a way affects a fighter deeply. AJ has his back up now—he’s determined to come back stronger.
This sport is brutal. When things go wrong, it’s humbling and humiliating. But AJ never stopped trying, even when things got tough. He’s got to analyze what went wrong and return better.
Host: Is there talk of retirement for AJ?
Eddie: Never. He’s physically and mentally in good shape. After a loss, the focus isn’t on retirement but on how you perform when you return. AJ’s training camp performance will reveal everything.
Host: What about Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano 3?
Eddie: Likely. They’ve fought twice, and both were fight-of-the-year contenders.
Host: And Conor Benn—what’s next for him?
Eddie: I met with Ben Shalom to discuss the Eubank fight. It’s a massive event in British boxing. But Conor also has the opportunity to fight Mario Barrios for the WBC Welterweight World Title.
The Eubank fight is more lucrative, but the Barrios fight is legacy-defining. He’s inspired by his dad’s WBC title and wants to add his own.
Host: Does Conor have his British license back?
Eddie: Not yet, but I believe he’ll apply. For me, all British fighters should fight under a British Boxing Board of Control license.
Host: Is Conor Benn cleared in your mind?
Eddie: Yes. He went through the required procedures, including a national anti-doping process, and was cleared. He’s not serving a silent ban.
Host: Then why not share the details of his clearance?
Eddie: It’s bound by confidentiality due to the testing protocols.
Host: But if he’s exonerated, what’s the harm in sharing?
Eddie: That’s up to Conor. The confidentiality agreement limits what can be disclosed.
Host: Last question—when and where could we see Benn vs. Eubank Jr.?
Eddie: End of March or early April at either Tottenham Hotspur Stadium or Wembley.
Host: Thanks for joining us, Eddie!
Eddie: Thank you!”
Interesting as always by Hearn. Obviously he wants that Anthony Joshua vs Tyson Fury fight at some point, although Joshua may look to go after the Dubois rematch if that is not available.
On the big fight next week, a lot of the late money is going on Usyk ahead of the rematch December 21st but you can never say never with Fury.
The smart money is going late onto Usyk, okay, but Fury is that unquantifiable metric in professional sports.
Barry Jones of Wales is always a brilliant pundit but we respectuflly disagree with his analysis during the week saying Usyk is an all-time great and Fury is not.
Does Mr. Jones not recall Fury being the first man from the UK or from anywhere else while trained by Peter Fury to pull off one of the biggest wins still in heavyweight history?
When he dethroned Vladimir Klitschko who had been unbeaten and untouchable in Germany forever at that time until a young Fury went there and boxed the ears off him?
Is Vladimir Klitschko not considered an all-time great and Fury beat him at his peak, that night in Germany?
Okay then.
Moreover, Fury is the ultimate comeback expert in the sport, not just the Wilder fights, he has shown an ability to change his fight style and box completely different unlike very few heavyweights of this era.
On the Wilder fights, the near 140 lbs. weight loss for one of them and coming back from the brink, Fury has come back from things that mere mortals like us can barely fathom.
It’s a heck of a fight next week, it really is.
He who starts well may have an edge and obviously the game plan will need to be spot on from the get go, in terms of whoever wins this fight.
Not long to go now.
