There’s a bizarre story of how Napoleon was once run out of town after an ill-fated rabbit hunt. Maybe Tyson Fury will soon be able to relate.
Despite the two beatings Oleksandr Usyk has dished out to Fury, the self-styled Gypsy King maintains he can and will claim revenge against the man he often refers to as ‘rabbit’ – among other derogatory names – especially if he can lure him back to these shores for another crack at becoming undisputed champ.
But if Fury’s a wise man, he’d call off the hunt and take a multi-million-pound fight against Anthony Joshua, instead. After Usyk systematically broke Daniel Dubois’ spirit and then will on Saturday night, he dangled quite the carrot by teasing a third fight with Fury.
The fans inside Wembley gave an approving roar -a stark difference from the lukewarm response he got when he suggested a trilogy against Joshua or perhaps a fight with former world champion Joseph Parker or fan favourite Derek Chisora.
It didn’t come as much of a surprise. It’s becoming increasingly difficult to find Usyk a suitable dance partner, and Fury, after all, gave him his toughest nights in the ring, pushing him close on both occasions. But truthfully, he was soundly beaten, and few outside of the Fury camp argued either decision. Fury has made clear Usyk is the one he wants after reneging yet again on his retirement, but be careful what you wish for. Dubois found out on Saturday night, as all the best heavyweights Britain has to offer have, that Usyk is just a class above.
On the basis of this performance, Fury should run for the hills. At 38, Usyk is still fleet of foot, still a masterful counter-puncher and still undisputedly the best heavyweight in the world. Dubois barely had a grip on the fight before he was pummelled to his knees and then into submission in the fifth round. In the end, it was the left hook – a shot that very nearly put Fury’s lights out in their first fight – that finished the Brit.
To his credit, Dubois never stopped coming forward, and he had some success, particularly in round three, catching Usyk with some stiff right hands. But the problem was what was coming back. Whenever Dubois missed, Usyk hit and with venom, so much so that the Brit walked back to his corner on jelly legs after the second round. Dubois threatened to turn the tide in the third, but as he usually does, Usyk finished that round strong and then took over in the fourth. At this point, it wasn’t all that obvious that the fight was 120 seconds away from its climax, but everyone inside Wembley sensed that Dubois was already chasing.
And then the younger man over-committed and got clipped with a chopping right hand on the top of the ear, sending him stumbling to the canvas. He got up, but what followed was a savage exhibition of how to finish a fight. Hurt and in survival mode, Dubois swung one last desperate right hand from the hip that skimmed off Usyk’s shoulder. In that moment, he must have known he was in trouble. With expert timing and devastating power, the Ukrainian detonated a left hook that put Dubois on his backside and crushed his dream of becoming the first British undisputed champion since Lennox Lewis.
Emotional, perhaps relieved, Usyk sank to his knees like he was celebrating his last, crowning victory. “A rest,” he said when he was initially asked what was next. But then he floated a third fight with Fury. No doubt millions would watch it, and both men would be well compensated, to the tune of tens of millions of pounds. But what would be the point?
If anyone was going to defeat Usyk, it would have been Fury. But twice, Usyk has proven himself to be the better man and fighter. Nothing would change if they fought again. Fury vs Joshua has been touted for so long now, it’s hard to remember a time when they weren’t on a collision course. Despite the politics, U-turns and defeats, this British blockbuster has managed to keep its appeal throughout it all over the years, but a third defeat to Usyk would not only take serious shine off Fury’s legacy but also challenge the public’s appetite for AJ vs Fury.
They both owe it to the British public to finally come together and settle the score. No doubt a third fight with Usyk will be tempting for Fury – and potentially just as lucrative – but his decision should be obvious. It truly does feel like it is now or never.
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