Heavyweight icons Lennox Lewis and Wladimir Klitschko had differing views of what transpired between Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury in Riyadh on Saturday night.
Klitschko was full of praise for his countryman, Usyk, the winner on the scorecards, while Lewis felt Fury blew his opportunity for revenge.
Speaking to Seconds Out, Klitschko said: “I expected repetition of the first match, and that’s exactly what happened. So Oleksandr is a true legend and champion, and we’re so lucky to have him in Ukraine.”
Asked whether Usyk should next face IBF beltholder Daniel Dubois, who stormed the ring to stake a claim for a rematch despite having a fight scheduled with Joseph Parker in February, Klitschko, discussing Usyk’s stoppage win over the Englishman, said he did not feel a return was necessary: “I don’t think Oleksandr needs any repetition with Dubois, that’s my opinion.”
Klitschko picked Anthony Joshua to beat Fury if they wind up fighting in 2025, while Lewis was more diplomatic and simply said of that potential all-UK fight, “Styles make fights.”
Of Usyk-Fury II, Lewis said: “I liked the first fight better. This was a good fight; it was very close. When it comes to heavyweight boxing and somebody’s beat you the first time, you’ve got to go after them the second time. I feel Tyson Fury should have went after him a little more and it would have been a different outcome.”
Lewis, who defeated every man he faced in the pros, which meant recording victories over Oliver McCall and Hasim Rahman – who had previously stopped him – said that he would have approached the rematch differently if he was Fury.
“Whatever their game plan was, mine would have been different,” Lewis said. “Whatever it was, it didn’t work.”