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Carl Frampton backs Tyson Fury to improve for much-anticipated Oleksandr Usyk rematch, questions champion’s ‘limit’
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Published 09/12/2024 at 14:56 GMT
Former world champion Carl Frampton believes that there is much to improve upon for Tyson Fury from his first fight against Oleksandr Usyk. The Ukrainian became the world's first four-belt undisputed heavyweight champion in Saudi Arabia earlier in the year, and the pair have a rematch on December 21 to contest three of the belts once again. The fight will be shown live on TNT Sports Box Office.
Usyk has a weakness that Tyson did not exploit like he should have - Warren
Video credit: TNT Sports
Carl Frampton believes Tyson Fury has a lot he can improve upon in his rematch against Oleksandr Usyk, and wonders if the champion can put in a better showing.
Earlier in the year, the Ukrainian became the first ever undisputed heavyweight champion of the four-belt era, and the pair are set to rematch, live on TNT Sports Box Office on December 21.
The second fight will be for three belts, as Usyk has vacated the IBF belt now held by Daniel Dubois.
While undisputed is no longer on the line, it promises to be one of the biggest fights of 2024, as the two best heavyweight fighters in the world go at it once more.
In the first outing, some observers saw Fury as performing below his very best, while former world champion Frampton thought Usyk was at his finest.
For that reason, he sees scope for the Briton to improve, while wondering if the current belt-holder can offer anything better.
Speaking on TNT Sports' Breakdown show, he said: "Usyk is a great boxer. Everyone loves him, what a personality, what a guy, what a fighter. He performed out of his skin that night, the performance of a career from an already amazing career.
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'It was his downfall' - Wardley analyses where Fury lost first fight to Usyk
Video credit: TNT Sports
"But he had to really perform at his absolute best to beat Tyson Fury. Can he improve on that performance? I’m not quite sure, I think that’s the limit. Can Tyson Fury improve? Absolutely."
Fury’s co-promoter, Frank Warren, pointed out that his man failed to use his five-inch height advantage, and greater reach, to its fullest.
He said: "Something Tyson did not exploit enough, which is his body. I'm telling you something, that will be rectified. Even when he was backing off, there’s quite a bit of the early rounds in that fight when he’s in the corner and he’s tucking up, and Usyk was being very aggressive.
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"But what Usyk does when he’s got you like that, he stands square on, and that was when he was clipping with that uppercut, and he caught him every time with that."
Fellow British heavyweight Fabio Wardley analysed moments from the first bout, and said Usyk offered more energy and accuracy, while Fury made some aspects of the fight easy for his rival, by being predictable with his shots.
"Fury’s downfall was easily identifiable," he began. "One, that low lead hand, which is very inviting. Especially bad now, as Usyk seems like he's up a gear.
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Frampton thinks Fury can 'absolutely' improve on first fight showing, unsure if Usyk can
Video credit: TNT Sports
"He wants to be on your case, he wants to be throwing punches. But also Fury not putting his punches together. Just one jab, two jabs, maybe a one-two, but not putting anything together.
"You see, coming off that, one right hand, pretty lazy, gets hit with a combination. Single shots again from Fury, but Usyk comes in one-two, firing, nice and sharp - change of pace.
"You see how well it lands compared to relatively lazy and laboured jabs. Usyk’s too smart and too intelligent to read that timing, one, two, three. ‘Go on, I’ll beat you to the punch.’"
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