In contention for one of the biggest fights to happen in the history of the heavyweights division in boxing due to the stakes involved, British fighter Tyson Fury is expected to fight the Ukrainian phenom Oleksandr Usyk in the first quarter of 2023. Both fighters hope to make history as the first unified heavyweight fighter since Lennox Lewis achieved the feat in 1999. Indeed these fighters are on the path to glory, which is why we bring you the rumors and news surrounding this fight. Keep reading as we also make our preview and predictions for the potential battle between these two dominant fighters. Stay updated with Half A Goal!

Tyson Fury’s Path To Glory

Fury has a motivational story. He has fought through different obstacles to get to where he is today. No one would think he would end up as world champion again after all he went through.

• Fury’s first world title stint was in 2015. Fury fought the necessary fighters to bring his ranking up enough to earn himself his first title shot against the then-champion, Wladimir Klitschko. The fight occurred at Düsseldorf, Germany’s Esprit Arena, on November 28, 2015, as scheduled. Despite the two heavyweights fighting to the end, the bout was not as entertaining as the spectators had hoped. Fury prevailed after twelve rounds with a unanimous decision. 

• Fury opted to relinquish the WBA (Unified), WBO, and IBO heavyweight titles in late 2016, while an anti-doping case involving his cocaine use and nandrolone results was being investigated. However, he was also ruled medically unfit to fight, so he could not defend the championship against Klitschko; hence he had to relinquish those titles. 

• Fury returned to in-ring action in 2018, and it didn’t look like the two-year break he took from boxing had any effect on him. He had two fights to earn him a title shot against the current WBC champion at that time, Deontay Wilder. In the last month of 2018, Fury and Wilder fought the first of the trilogy, which ended in a draw and meant that Wilder retained the title. 

• A rematch was fixed for 2020, and Fury succeeded in stripping Wilder of the WBC title. Fury was the name on everyone’s mouth in this bout as he punished Wilder immensely, forcing his corner to throw the towel after several knockdowns and apparent physical damage. The third fight, which marked the end of the trilogy, saw Fury, the new WBC champion, defend his title successfully against Wilder. 
• Fury went on to successfully defend his belt against Dillian Whyte and Derek Chisora, and now he’s set to participate in the greatest fight of his career against Usyk.

Oleksandr Usyk’s Path To Glory 

Oleksandr Usyk was a late bloomer in the boxing world. He started as a cruiserweight, and after he conquered the division, he decided to move up a weight class; that has been the best decision for him as he has done nothing but flourish in the heavyweight division. The movement up a weight class made him a mandatory challenger for the WBO belt as per the WBO regulations.

• Usyk will make his heavyweight debut against Tyrone Spong at the Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Illinois, in the fourth quarter of 2019. Chazz Witherspoon replaced Spong after a positive clomiphene test result disqualified Spong. After round 7, Witherspoon submitted in his corner, giving Usyk the victory.

• The next fight between Usyk and Derek Chisora occurred on May 23, 2020, at London’s O2 Arena. The Ukrainian entered the contest knowing that a victory would qualify him to challenge Anthony Joshua for the WBO heavyweight championship. Usyk defeated Chisora in a unanimous decision.

• Due to Anthony Joshua’s inability to face Tyson Fury, Joshua mandatorily defended his title against Usyk on September 25 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Usyk pulled off an unexpected triumph by outboxing the champion throughout 12 rounds to win by unanimous decision to become the unified world heavyweight champion. 

• Usyk went on to successfully defend his belts against Joshua. He won by a split decision in the rematch against Joshua. Now he faces Tyson Fury in a bid to become undisputed.

Tale Of The Tape

Tyson Fury

Age: 34

Fight: 33

Wins: 32

Losses: 0

Draws: 1

Knockouts: 23

Height: 6ft 9 In

Reach: 85 In

Stance: Orthodox

Oleksandr Usyk

Age: 35

Fight: 20

Wins: 20

Losses: 0

Draws: 0

Knockouts: 13

Height: 6ft 3 In

Reach: 78 In

Stance: Southpaw

Latest News About Fury Vs Usyk

According to Egis Klimas, the manager of Oleksandr Usyk, the bout between Tyson Fury and him is planned to happen between late February and early March. The fight is meant to be for the undisputed heavyweight world championship, uniting the Gypsy King’s WBC crown with Usyk’s WBA, IBF, and WBO champions. 

• Both fighters want the fight; thus, according to the reports, it is certain. To give them enough time to prepare, there won’t be any interim bouts before they meet off.

• Despite numerous offers to move the fight to a stadium in the Middle East, similar to the second fight between Usyk and Joshua, the UK is still running to host the fight with Wembley Stadium in mind for what might just be the fight of the decade. No matter the time or date chosen, the fight must take place within the first four months of 2023.

Predictions For The Fight

Tyson Fury simply has the advantage here. He is bigger, stronger, and taller and has proven he can take a beating. This is unlike Usyk, who is yet to fight a profile like Fury and might be in for a tough fight here. Fury will head into this fight as the favorite, but we have seen what Usyk can do as the underdog in fights. The odds for Tyson Fury to win are 1.48 (decimal) and -210 (American). Meanwhile, the odds for Usyk to pull the upset are 2.70 (decimal) and +170 (American). The best pick for this fight is to back it to go the distance. This fight will go to at least eleven rounds. 

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Gervonta Davis is set to open the year early with a champion vs champion fight. 2023’s first weekend will feature a boxing match between the WBA lightweight champion Gervonta “Tank” Davis, who stands 27 fights undefeated in his professional career against the WBA super featherweight champion Hector Luis Garcia who in similar light remains undefeated after 16 fights. This fight is more of a tough preparation for Davis’ who’s set to face American Boxer Ryan Garcia sometime in April. Stay glued for more details about Gervonta Davis and Hector Luis Garcia’s bout. 

Gervonta Davis’ Buildup To This Fight

One of the sport’s brightest stars, the 28-year-old southpaw from Baltimore, Maryland, holds a key position in the boxing community, especially in the lightweight division. He excels at putting on a show by eliminating his opponents via knockouts. Although viewers enjoy pure boxing, knockouts will always have the crossover appeal that boxers need to raise their profile among athletes across all disciplines.

Davis’ Record And Bio

• Nationality: American
• Date of Birth: November 7, 1994
• Height: 5′ 5.5″
• Reach: 67.5″
• Total Fights: 27
• Record: 27-0 (25 KOs)

Why Does He Want This Fight?

In April, Davis will compete against Ryan Garcia, one of the sport’s newest stars. The fastest active professional boxer in the world is Ryan Garcia. He has even been compared to someone like Muhammad Ali, demonstrating what a genius he is.

To settle the argument that he is the top fighter in the lightweight division, Davis must overcome Ryan Garcia. However, Davis felt the need for an interim bout before the eagerly anticipated battle, so he accepted to defend his WBA lightweight title against Hector Luis Garcia.

Hector Luis Garcia’s Build Up To The Fight

• As a last-minute substitute in February 2022, Hector Luis Garcia took on super featherweight contender Chris Colbert (16-1) in a fight that was meant to be a stepping stone for Colbert as he neared a title chance.
• Garcia had other ideas, and in addition to knocking Colbert to the ground for the first time in his career, he also caused him to suffer his first defeat by winning the bout by decision.
• With that triumph, Garcia was granted a crack at the title six months later against Roger Gutierrez, the current champion. Garcia entered the battle as the underdog once more. Still, he quickly dispelled any doubts about his credentials. He demonstrated that his victory over Colbert was no accident by winning the decision to claim the WBA super featherweight title.
• Davis might have refused Garcia’s challenge after the fight. Still, instead, he accepted it, allowing Garcia of a lifetime to show that he is a brilliant boxer who deserves to be on the list of the sport’s finest.

Garcia’s Record And Bio

• Nationality: Dominican
• Date of Birth: November 1, 1991
• Height: 5′ 9″
• Reach: 67″
• Total Fights: 16
• Record: 16-0 (10 KOs)

Why Does He Want This Fight?

Hector Luis Garcia simply wants to prove his doubters wrong. The man has a dog in him and wants everyone to know he can compete with the biggest names in the lightweight division. The fact that Garcia seems to be a live dog in this bout makes it exciting. The 31-year-old Garcia from the Dominican Republic hopes to pull off the unexpected on Saturday night after competing in over 300 amateur matches.

Can Ryan Garcia ruin Tank’s preparations to battle Garcia and shock the world in this situation? Garcia emerged practically suddenly from obscurity to become a household figure in boxing and has no intention of slowing down any time soon.

Fight Details

• Date: Saturday, January 7
• Main card: 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT 
• Venue: Capital One Arena in Washington D.C.

Where And How To Watch

• Tickets for Davis vs. Garcia start at $126
• For viewers at home, you can watch via Showtime pay-per-view for $74.99 in the United States or Canada.
• You can stream on Showtime via Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV, Roku, Xbox ONE, your laptop, and any mobile or tablet device.

Fight Favorite

Despite Garcia’s winning streak, experts think that unbeatable boxer Gervonta Davis has a distinct advantage over his opponent due to age and striking power, as shown by his 25 knockouts in 27 fights. These numbers have led bookmakers to forecast that Gervonta Davis will be the clear favorite to defeat Luis Garcia and defend his title. His odds of winning the fight stand at 1.1 (decimal) and -1000 (American). 

Fight Underdog 

The WBA super featherweight champion Garcia is trying to elevate his game as he moves up a weight division. Although he is a colossal underdog in this bout, he must not be disregarded. He has demonstrated the ability to flourish in various challenging situations, and he might have a chip on his shoulder due to the lack of recognition he got in the past. Garcia’s odds of winning this bout are 9.0 (decimal) and +800 (American). 

Fight Prediction 

These fighters have similar fighting styles (southpaw). So there’s not much differentiating them except that Garcia has a .3 inches height advantage and a bit more reach. However, Davis covers for that with his pace and punching power which is evident in his 93% finishing rate. The best pick for this bout is to back the fight to see more than seven rounds. And this is because Davis has the habit of dropping early rounds, which might also be the case here. We will back Davis to take charge in the later rounds and win by K.O. The odds for over 7.5 rounds are 1.8 (decimal) and -125 (American). 

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