By BRIAN MAHONEY AP Sports Writer
Tyson Fury promises less clowning and more punching Oleksandr Usyk in the face during their upcoming rematch for boxing’s heavyweight championship.
Usyk won a split decision in May in Saudi Arabia, and they get back in the ring there again on Saturday. Fury doesn’t plan to change much from his first loss as a pro, beyond doing everything he can to avoid leaving the result to the judges.
“I’ll just throw more this time,” Fury said Wednesday. “Keep hitting him in the face more often than I did last time.”
The first matchup made Usyk boxing’s first undisputed heavyweight champion in 24 years. Fury (34-1-1) quickly activated his right to a rematch, though only three belts will be on the line this time because the IBF stripped Usyk for not facing its mandatory challenger, Daniel Dubois.
Fury is 5-0, with all the wins by stoppage, in rematches, including two knockouts of Deontay Wilder after a draw in their first fight was Fury’s only other bout that didn’t end with a victory.
The first matchup with Usyk (22-0) was so close that he doesn’t see a need for significant strategical changes from seven months ago.
“I’m just going to box smart, box clever and if I catch him, get him out of there,” said Fury, who weighed in at a career-high 281 pounds on Friday in Riyadh, 55 pounds heavier than Usyk (226). “Pretty similar to what I did last time. A little bit less clowning around and a bit more focus and that’s it, really.”
Fury, 36, loves to entertain, and he was putting his arms behind his back and making faces right from the start of the first fight. But perhaps in an acknowledgement to the talent of Usyk, the former cruiserweight champion before moving up to fight the biggest boys, Fury realizes he will need to do less of it.
“I did more clowning than anybody in any high-level fight’s ever done,” he said. “It’s taken my focus away as well, so maybe a little less clowning and more focus on the actual…
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