Johnny Nelson gives his prediction for Oleksandr Usyk vs Tyson Fury rematch

Johnny Nelson expects Oleksandr Usyk to edge Tyson Fury in their rematch

Former cruiserweight world champion Johnny Nelson has told BetVictor he backs Oleksandr Usyk to edge out Tyson Fury in their rematch on Saturday

Former long-reigning cruiserweight world champion, Johnny Nelson, previewed this Saturday's showdwon in Saudi between unified world champion Oleksandr Usyk and former two-time word champion Tyson fury, “I have to lean towards Oleksandr Usyk based on what I’ve seen in the build-up and his previous performance against Tyson Fury. My opinion could change, but I’ve been paying attention to Usyk’s demeanour, attitude and how he has presented himself.

“At the same time, you’ve got to think about Fury – even though he didn’t have his A game, he still pushed Usyk all the way in May.

“It’s not an impossible task for Fury. I think there’s a very thin line when predicting who will win. The last fight took a lot out of both of them, but I think it took more out of Fury than it did Usyk, so it will be intriguing to see if Fury can improve on his last performance.”

57-year-old Nelson emphasised the importance of knowing when to walk away from boxing, but said neither Usyk or Fury should hang up their gloves after the bout in Saudi Arabia.

The Sky Sports pundit added, “Regarding Tyson, I think there’s a strong possibility that the Anthony Joshua fight will happen. Even though historically, we’ve seen it many times in our sport, when for whatever reason, fights that should happen don’t end up happening. There’s been no word about what Joshua’s plan is moving forward, so let’s see what’s said after this weekend.

“There’s been talk about retirement for Usyk because he’s achieved everything he’s wanted to achieve. It’s better you retire from boxing before boxing retires you. Usyk mentioned that he could be moving down to cruiserweight - because he can!

“That tells me he’s probably more comfortable at cruiserweight than heavyweight. He wants to tick some boxes and do something that no one else has done.”

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