- Oleksandr Usyk has opened as the +210 betting underdog in a potential bout with Tyson Fury.
- Usyk defeated Anthony Joshua last Sunday morning in Saudi Arabia in their unified heavyweight title fight.
- Usyk is also a -300 betting favorite if he decides to give Joshua one more shot.
Despite another masterful boxing display against Anthony Joshua, unified boxing heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk has opened as a sizable betting underdog in a potential showdown with lineal champion Tyson Fury.
Usyk vs Fury Opening Odds
Oleksandr Usyk (+210)
Tyson Fury (-280)https://t.co/I4Rbf3yStl— ProBoxingOdds (@ProBoxingOdds) August 21, 2022
Shortly after beating Joshua, Usyk opened as the +210 betting underdog in a possible fight with Fury. At those odds, he’s still a sizable bottom dog in that matchup. However, that price is still better than the +250 that the Las Vegas Sportsbook pegged him versus the Gypsy King after beating Joshua the first time out. Fury meanwhile, opened as the -300 favorite to beat Usyk last September but is now listed at +210 odds.
Interestingly, this is not the first time that Usyk has opened with the plus money sign written next to his name. The Ukrainian was listed at +300 when the betting lines for his first bout with Joshua were first released. Although he closed at the -225 to +210 range, Usyk entered the ring that night as the underdog to Joshua. We know how that bout ended.
Last Saturday, Usyk entered the ring as the -210 betting favorite to beat Joshua in a second consecutive bout after opening at +240 odds. Meanwhile, Joshua was the +175 underdog after opening at +190 odds. That marked the first time in Joshua’s career that he opened and closed as the betting underdog. The results showed.
Usyk Defeats Joshua Again
Usyk wins again ?
Oleksandr Usyk defeats Anthony Joshua via split decision to retain his WBA, IBF, IBO & WBO Heavyweight belts pic.twitter.com/7dbNic2hPC
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) August 20, 2022
Just like he did in their first bout, Usyk used superior skills to outbox Joshua in a 12-round war. Although one of the judges inexplicably gave his scorecard to Joshua, the right man still won the fight and that’s all that really matters.
Compubox punch stats showed that Usyk outlanded Joshua 170-124 in total punches connected. The champion was also the busier fighter between the two as he threw 712 punches as compared to AJ’s 492. Usyk also landed 39 jabs against Joshua’s 23 while he connected on 131 power punches versus AJ’s 101.
Unlike the first bout where Usyk nearly finished AJ in the final round, there wasn’t any such instance on Saturday night. However, he showed what stuff he’s made of when he not only survived Joshua’s best round of their two bouts in Round 9 but he also closed the fight stronger. Oddsmakers have also opened Usyk as the -300 favorite in a third fight with Joshua. But that’s not the fight that the champion wants right now.
Usyk Only Wants To Fight Tyson Fury
Usyk only wants to fight Tyson Fury next pic.twitter.com/jDsbKUSfIK
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) August 21, 2022
With Joshua now in the back mirror, there isn’t much left to prove for Usyk. Deontay Wilder is making a comeback against Robert Helenius and could be back in the title picture if he wins that bout. However, Usyk made it clear after beating Joshua that he only wants Fury next.
Fury has flip-flopped on his retirement in recent months. The Gypsy King announced his retirement after knocking out Dillian Whyte last April at Wembley Stadium. Fury had said in the weeks leading to the Whyte bout that it would be his final fight.
A couple of months later, he was calling out Derek Chisora and even opened as a massive betting favorite to win that bout. Fury then said again that he was done. But after watching Usyk dominate AJ last weekend, Fury says he’s back. Well, he never left in the first place. But let’s see if he really wants that Usyk smoke.
