Tony Bellew sees Oleksandr Usyk toppling Tyson Fury because his style hasn’t changed under SugarHill Steward, who he adopted as his trainer before defeating Deontay Wilder

Tyson Fury beat Deontay Wilder twice after their initial draw (Image: Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

Tony Bellew believes Tyson Fury has failed to adapt since his Deontay Wilder trilogy – and that will cost him against Oleksandr Usyk.

The Gypsy King has fought three times since putting his rivalry with Wilder to bed in 2021. His outings the following year against Dillian Whyte and Derek Chisora were routine but lacklustre.

And he was given an almighty scare by boxing debutant Francis Ngannou in October, securing a controversial split-decision victory. Bellew reckons his recent run spells concern for when he steps into the ring with Usyk on Saturday night.

“Tyson Fury’s style has changed since he joined SugarHill Steward,” he told us, via AceOdds. “Now that was perfect for fighting Deontay Wilder. Wilder is a fighter who needs to be pushed back. Wilder is a fighter who needs to be bullied.

“If you allow him to press the pace and force you backwards, it’s only a matter of time until he knocks you out. But you force Deontay Wilder on the back foot and make him fight inside and make him do things that he’s not used to, he becomes absolutely useless.

“And it takes away his one-shot power. Don’t get me wrong, he still can catch you, as he did catch Tyson Fury in each of the three fights, but ultimately, that’s the way to fight him. Well Fury’s now taken that style into every fight since. And you’ve seen that he’s been damaged by it massively.”

Tony Bellew thinks Fury hasn’t adapted under SugarHill Steward (Image: AFP via Getty Images)
It was widely felt Ngannou had done enough to pull off the biggest shock in combat sports history against Fury, and Bellew agrees “no one could have complained” had his arm been raised after the 10 rounds.

“Why could a man having his first-ever professional boxing match push the heavyweight champion of the world so close? He pushed him so close purely because he ran on the back foot, and he used his brain and that’s what Tyson Fury hates,” he continued.

“Tyson Fury needs you to press him. With that being said, Tyson Fury’s style that he has now is Tyson Fury’s an aggressive counter puncher. He presses you first for a reaction, then he counters you. And that’s the style that he uses.”

Bellew thinks that plays right into the hands of his dance partner for their undisputed bout in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, adding: “That is the dream opponent for Usyk. Because the minute you press Usyk is the minute you lose.

“Usyk usually drops to the level of his opponents. He wants to feel the heavyweight’s power. Tyson Fury for the first time in his whole entire life is going to face someone who’s a better pure boxer than him.”