Recently, unified cruiserweight and heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk (22-0, 14 KOs) told the media that the combination punching tactics crafted by head coach Yury Takhteyev were instrumental in his success against Tyson Fury (34-1-1, 24 KOs) in their highly anticipated unification bout.
Said Usyk, “I love working with Yury. We specifically trained for the 1-2 combinations before the fight. I start with a jab, defend, then throw a left hook, followed by a right hand, defend again, and then another left hook.”
Usyk had a rocky middle part of the fight, being outboxed by Fury in rounds 3 to 7 where he absorbed some powerful uppercuts. However, from round 8, Usyk adapted his approach, and Fury’s stamina began to wane. In round 9, Usyk nearly knocked out Fury, turning the tide in his favor.
The rematch between Usyk and Fury is scheduled for December 21, again in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with a 60-40 purse split in Usyk’s favor. The Saudi organizers have allocated $190 million, with Usyk set to receive an astronomical $114 million.
