EXCLUSIVE
This was a different Tyson Fury, he was all business and press conference shows how seriously he is taking Oleksandr Usyk
Tyson Fury was dialled in as he took to the stage for Wednesday's press conference ahead of his fight with Oleksandr Usyk.
The man who sat before assembled media at The Mazuma Stadium in Morecambe looked completely different to the one who laboured around the ring against Francis Ngannou last October.
2
For one, he was noticeably leaner, but perhaps most importantly, there was a determined look in his eyes that hasn't been seen for quite some time.
talkSPORT's Spencer Oliver picked up on this as he watched on with intrigue.
"It was all positive, he looked in great shape, he sounded great. And a happy fighter is a dangerous fighter. Tyson Fury definitely seemed happy, " Oliver told marvelbet369.com.
"He seemed in a really good place if I'm totally honest, there were all positive signs up there for him... this is a different man to the guy who fought Ngannou."
READ MORE ON BOXING
The overriding narrative coming out of his disappointing display against Ngannou was that he hadn't taken the fight seriously enough.
That was clear to see in the way he held himself throughout the build-up.
'The Gypsy King' was extremely dismissive of Ngannou's chances of victory and appeared to underestimate the challenge at hand.
During their pre-fight press conference, he insisted that the former UFC heavyweight champion couldn't beat him 'if he had a machete and a nine-millimetre gun in his hands' - and yet, the boxing novice nearly prevailed.
Most read in Boxing
2
In stark contrast, Fury was extremely respectful of Usyk's ability when he spoke to the press today, even referring to the former undisputed cruiserweight champion as a 'good fighter' and a 'tough challenge'.
According to Oliver, Fury lacked the 'fear factor' needed to get up for his fight with Ngannou.
Oleksandr Usyk wows fans with impressive bulky shape as he prepares for massive heavyweight fight with Tyson Fury
But it appears whatever he was missing against the MMA star is certainly there ahead of his four-belt shoot out on May 18.
"He had a real wake-up call against Francis Ngannou... If there is no fear factor in the fight, it doesn't matter how much you train, you won't put in that same intensity," Oliver continued.
"That's where he went wrong against Francis Ngannou, there was no fear factor there. But with this one, he knows he's in there with a live fighter.
"We're going to find out who the best heavyweight boxer of our generation is in this fight and Oleksandr Usyk is a serious contender for that crown so I expect to see the best version of Tyson Fury on fight night."
Oliver was already backing Fury to get his hand raised against Usyk next month, but what he saw at the press conference earlier today further validated his stance.
"That press conference cemented my prediction [that Fury will win] even more," he added.
"Sometimes when you look at a fighter and they are a bit edgy or moody, you can tell something isn't right as reality starts to kick in for them.
"But Tyson Fury looked relaxed, he's clearly had a good camp and most importantly he's in a good place mentally which makes him very dangerous."
Boxing WhatsApp channel
Get the latest fight news, reaction and the best opinion from talkSPORT pundits in our
Follow our Boxing channel
Topics