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Lennox Lewis expects Tyson Fury to be more serious in Oleksandr Usyk rematch

Former champion Lewis proved himself the master of comeback wins during his glittering career.

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Lennox Lewis believes Tyson Fury will dispense with the showboating and get down to business when he steps into the ring for his world heavyweight title rematch with Oleksandr Usyk in Riyadh on Saturday night.

Former champion Lewis proved himself the master of comeback wins during his glittering career as he swiftly avenged his two defeats to Oliver McCall and Hasim Rahman.

And Lewis is convinced that Fury will have learned the hard way after he tasted defeat for the first time against the Ukrainian in their first fight in the same city in May.

Tyson Fury v Dillian Whyte – Weigh In – BOXPARK Wembley
Lennox Lewis believes Oleksandr Usyk could still have the edge over Tyson Fury (Nick Potts/PA)

“I feel he could be more serious in the first few rounds. I think the showboating and all that type of thing, he has to push that out of the way and be more focused on the win.”

The stakes are high for Fury, with domestic rival Daniel Dubois, who defends his IBF belt against Joseph Parker on the undercard, eyeing a money-spinning showdown and Anthony Joshua still targeting a long-awaited shot.

Las Vegas Lewis v Rahman
Lennox Lewis knows all about rematches after stopping Hasim Rahman and Oliver McCall (Nick Potts/PA)

“I want to see a trilogy,” added Lewis. “Tyson is good at trilogies and he’s boxed them before, so he knows what they’re all about. Right now he’s one down and he needs to step up his game.

“My era was a great era, and now this era is really making its mark. This is the era of Usyk moving up in weight, doing it scientifically and actually winning. He told Tyson he was going to be there with him every second, and he was.

“I believe Fury is a lot better prepared than he was for the first fight. He’s ready and he knows what’s going to happen in the ring. He’s got to go out there and prove to the world that he deserves to win the fight.”

:: Watch Usyk v Fury Reignited 2 on TNT Sports Box Office. Coverage starts from 4pm on Saturday 21st December. Find out how you can watch at tntsports.co.uk/boxoffice

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