“Reignited” – this is the motto under which heavyweight rivals Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury will meet on December 21st in Riyadh for their eagerly awaited rematch. sport.de answers the most important questions about the second big boxing highlight of the year.
Usyk vs. Fury II: When and where will the fight take place?
Part 2 of the heavyweight rivals will take place again on December 21, 2024 at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh / Saudi Arabia. The absolutist kingdom on the Persian Gulf has established itself as the “hotspot” of boxing in the person of “His Excellency” Turki Al-Sheikh.
Al-Sheikh – Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s “Entertainment Minister” – is currently putting together one boxing blockbuster after another thanks to the almost inexhaustible Saudi sovereign wealth fund.
Usyk vs. Fury II: What’s the backstory?
On May 18, WBA/WBO/IBF titleholder Oleksandr Usyk defeated WBC champion Tyson Fury in a dramatic 12-round fight with the judges voting 2-1 on points. With his 22nd win, the Ukrainian, who was undefeated as a professional, became the first undisputed champion of all boxing classes since Lennox Lewis in 1999. Fury suffered his first defeat as a prizefighter in the 35th fight.
A knockdown by Fury in round nine proved to be decisive: the 2.06-meter giant was counted after several hard hits, lost a point on the judges’ cards and was left behind in the end.
Tyson Fury (r.) towers over Oleksandr Usyk by 16 centimeters
Usyk vs. Fury II: Is it about the title of “Undisputed Champion” again?
Strictly speaking, the answer is: no. In Usyk vs. Fury 2, “only” the titles of the world associations WBA, WBC and WBO are at stake. Usyk resigned the IBF crown in June to fight a direct rematch against Fury. Since then, the Briton Daniel Dubois has been the IBF world champion.
If you just let the associations’ alphabet soup simmer, it will of course still be about THE heavyweight title on December 21st in Riyadh. Terminology and undisputed definitions or not – the winner is the rightful champion of all classes, the “big toe of God”, as writer Norman Mailer once called the heavyweight champion.
Usyk vs. Fury II: Where can you see the fight in Germany?
DAZN shows the revenge fight between Usyk and Fury on pay-per-view for 19.99 euros.* This means: A simple DAZN subscription is not enough to see the boxing showdown, the “ticket” for Usyk vs. Fury must be booked separately. The main fight is scheduled to start around 11 p.m. The duel will be commented on by the DAZN duo Uli Hebel and Andreas Sedlak, and long-time Klitschko manager Bernd Bönte will be there as an expert.
Usyk vs. Fury II: What do the fighters earn?
Much. Very much. According to a report in the British tabloid “The Sun”, there is 150 million pounds (around 180 million euros) in the pot for the rematch, which will be divided fifty-fifty between the rivals. Considering all the potential earnings, both boxers could make a three-digit million dollar purse.
Usyk vs. Fury II: Who is the favorite?
Because of his narrow victory in the first fight, the 37-year-old defending champion Usyk climbs into the ring as the slight favorite. But: Fury has announced that he will stop his antics in the rematch and act more “focused”. So far, the 36-year-old has won all of his revenge fights early. Fury also has clear physical advantages.
Usyk vs. Fury II: Tale of the Tape
Oleksandr Usyk | Tyson Fury | |
37 | Old | 36 |
22 | Fights | 36 |
22 | Victories | 34 |
0 | Defeats | 1 |
0 | draw | 1 |
14 | Knockout victories | 24 |
1.90 m | Size | 2.06m |
198cm | reach | 216cm |
approx. 100 kg | Weight | approx. 120 kg |
The Cat | Nickname | Gypsy King |
Usyk vs. Fury II: Is it also about history?
Absolutely. With a win, Fury would be crowned heavyweight world champion of at least one major association for the third time. To date, only Muhammad Ali, Lennox Lewis and Evander Holyfield have achieved this.
In a direct rematch (i.e. without fights in between), only four boxers managed to win back the crown: Floyd Patterson (1960 against Ingemar Johansson), Muhammad Ali (1978 against Leon Spinks), Lennox Lewis (2001 against Hasim Rahman) and Anthony Joshua (2019 vs. Andy Ruiz).
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