Eddie Hearn picks Tyson Fury to defeat Oleksandr Usyk on points in their Saturday night DAZN PPV rematch in Riyadh. Matchroom promoter Hearn is very open about why he’s picking England-born Fury (34-1-1, 24 KOs) to win, saying it’s because he “british” and because of “what may come,” which is code for mega fight against Anthony Joshua.
Money talks
The box institution wants Fury, 36, to win this fight because having him as the unified heavyweight champion is great for business. Fury represents money. So, it is not a surprise that there is a certain desperation for him to win against Usyk.
That lets you know what Usyk is up against on Saturday night. He is in the same position as previous Fury opponents, who looked to have beaten him, but had their victories taken away. Tyson should probably have four losses on his resume, not one. It’s hard to beat a fighter when they’re as popular as Fury.
You have to give Hearn credit for being transparent about his bias, even if it is self serving The fight between the Matchrooom promoted Joshua will cause many to rage if he prevails against the WBA, WBC and WBO heavyweight champion Usyk (22-0, 14 KOs) at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh on Saturday night.
Honesty or self-interest?
“I think people forget how close the fight was. It’s hard not to pick Oleksandr Usyk for this fight, but I had it two rounds max for Oleksandr Usyk. It was obviously strange for these standing scores,” said Eddie Hearn Matchroom Boxingtalking about the Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk first fight earlier this year on May 18.
“I expect another very close battle on Saturday. I pick Tyson Fury for many reasons. I’m channeling my inner karma towards him, because of obviously what could be coming (Anthony Joshua mega-fight), and the fact that we’re also British.
If Hearn didn’t get anything out of a Fury win on Saturday, it would be interesting to know if he would still consider it a win. My guess is no. Even with his massive 40lb size advantage, Fury isn’t on the same level as Usyk talent-wise, and he doesn’t look like the same fighter going into the rematch physically as he did seven months ago when he dropped a 12-round split decision.
“I felt like a crook. I saw the stuff yesterday, and I thought he (Fury) looked very relaxed. Usyk is talking very crazy, this time really different. I don’t know if it’s good or bad, but I’m going Tyson Fury and I’m going Tyson Fury on points,” Hearn said.
