Evander Holyfield has picked Oleksandr Usyk to beat Tyson Fury.
Holyfield was the last boxer to become undisputed at cruiserweight and heavyweight, making him more than qualified to give an insight into the fight. The duo will face each other on February 17th, 2024, for the chance to become the first undisputed heavyweight champion since 1999, when Lennox Lewis defeated Holyfield himself. Both boxers have a lot to prove following their last performances.
Fury struggled to beat Francis Ngannou as he scraped through with a split-decision win after being floored in the third round. As for Usyk, the Ukrainian survived his own scare against Daniel Dubois. The unified heavyweight champion hit in the canvas in round five for only Dubois’ punch to be ruled a low blow in a decision that divided the boxing community. Ultimately, Usyk stopped Dubois in round nine. However, there were serious questions over whether he could take a shot to the body. Fury is seen as the favorite, however, Holyfield felt Usyk would prove too skilful.
📢 Former cruiser and heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield has made his pick for the historic upcoming unification bour between Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury.
🔥 "This is going to be a real barnburner for both fighters. Usyk's got the grit, the resilience, and the speed. I… pic.twitter.com/aOWEq543Nv
— READY TO FIGHT (@ReadyToFight_io) November 21, 2023
“It’s gonna be a tough fight for both, even though I think Usyk will win. For one thing, he’s a tough fighter and he don’t give up, and he’s quicker, he’s quicker. So I don’t think Tyson Fury will be able to compete with how many punches he’s gonna throw. I don’t think this era is better than ours. We had more Olympians, who came out and did real well. So, I just think our era was a stronger era, and that had a lot to do with how great the amateurs are,” Holyfield said
Regardless of the result, both fighters will be recompensed well for it. Fury, in particular, is reportedly going to make over $100 million for the Usyk fight. As of now, the boxer’s net worth is approximately $62 million, as per Forbes. This includes earnings from boxing, WWE appearances, reality shows, books and sponsorship deals. And following the Ngannou fight, the Gypsy King made approximately another $62 million. And with the Usyk fight still to go, the boxer has the chance to become the greatest heavyweight of this era, with a huge payday to accompany it.