Tyson Fury’s training partner Moses Itauma has revealed the former world champion was “very different” during the build-up to his heavyweight title rematch with Oleksandr Usyk.
After Usyk became the first undisputed heavyweight champion since Lennox Lewis in May, Fury has the opportunity to avenge the first loss of his career, live. Sky Sports Box Office on Saturday night.
Itauma, considered one of the brightest young prospects in the heavyweight division and fighting on Saturday’s card, has been part of each of Fury’s training camps to prepare for Usyk.
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Fury vowed to knock out Oleksandr Usyk in their rematch on December 21, when he made his grand arrival in Saudi Arabia.
“It’s very different. Their mentality has changed,” Itauma said at Tuesday’s grand arrivals ceremony in Riyadh.
“He wasn’t the nice guy anymore. He was actually there to train.”
“Normally, when I (previously) trained with him in Saudi Arabia and Morecambe, we would train together, do circuits together, run together, do strength and conditioning together, but this time he was solely focused on doing it alone.
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Usyk arrives for his rematch with Fury
“And he said, ‘I’m a lone soldier, I’m a lone wolf.’
“They hit him with a good shot and he was screaming. I was thinking, ‘this guy is a lunatic.’ But to be in this sport you need to be a little crazy.”
Itauma insists that Fury’s motivation for taking an immediate rematch is not financial, but that his compatriot is simply driven by a burning desire to avenge the defeat.
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Fury opens up to Sky Sports’ Andy Scott about his long-awaited rematch with Usyk, his love of boxing and the advice he would give to darts sensation Luke Littler.
He added: “I don’t think Tyson is doing this for money. So if he’s not doing it for money, what is he doing it for?”
“Because he really wants to beat Oleksandr Usyk, and if he had done it for the money, he would have packed his bags a long time ago.
“So with that in mind, people need to keep that in mind. On Saturday night, Tyson Fury is coming to fight, to win.
“I don’t feel like he’s going to come in and get knocked down, because he could have just not trained. And believe me, I was in training camp, he was training hard.”
The big heavyweight rematch between Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury will air live on Saturday, December 21 on Sky Sports Box Office. Pre-order Usyk vs. Fury 2 now!
