03 May

"Usyk Is an Exception": Groves on the Undisputed Championship Fight

Former world champion George Groves believes that not all boxing rules apply to WBA, WBO, IBO, and IBF heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk (21-0, 14 KOs).

"Yes, I think Usyk will beat Fury. I remember when Oleksandr first moved to the heavyweight division, I said he was a dark horse, don't write him off. At that time, it seemed a little unimaginable that he would compete with Anthony Joshua or Tyson Fury.

The wisdom is that a good big fighter beats a good small fighter, but Usyk is an exception. In terms of boxing ability, Usyk is much better, his footwork is much faster. Fury has a lot of boxing know-how, great boxing IQ, and he has the size that's always worked to his advantage, but maybe his time has passed.

He looked awful in the fight with Ngannou, but of course, he was underprepared. Now he looks like he's in better shape. He knows what's at stake, and perhaps the cut will help him, as it will Usyk. He needed as much time as possible to prepare for Usyk, and Oleksandr could sit back and think this is the biggest fight of his career, but will it happen?" Groves said.

The undisputed championship fight between Usyk and Fury will take place on May 18th in Saudi Arabia.

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