Tyson Fury’s trainer SugarHill Steward will change some of their tactics ahead of the undisputed heavyweight title fight with Oleksandr Usyk off the back of comments made by Usyk’s promoter Alex Krassyuk.
“The worst thing about Tyson Fury is that he doesn’t know how to deal with a southpaw,” Krassyuk told ProBox TV. “That is the worst thing about him fighting Usyk; he doesn’t know the concept. He doesn’t know when to step in and out of his attacks. Just a normal technical mistake, he has done it a lot.”
The southpaw Usyk fights Fury in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on May 18. Fury’s last fight with a left-handed opponent came against Otto Wallin in 2019. He claimed a unanimous-decision win, but often struggled, and required 47 seven stitches above his right eye.
“I haven’t changed anything in that respect,” Steward told BoxingScene. “I wasn’t in his corner for the Wallin fight, and we’ve not faced a southpaw since, so there wasn’t anything to change. It’s about adding something extra to what he already has. Tyson has a great mind and he’s very intelligent, he is one of the best. The Wallin fight he won anyway, the problems he had were from the cut he had on the night.
“Did [Krassyuk] really say that? I might have to change some things in the camp. I’m not going to tell you what I’m going to change, obviously. I can’t be giving away our game plan for the Usyk fight. [But] I will be making some adjustments.”