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Movie Review: Boxer Claressa Shields’ story is told in ‘The Fire Inside’

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“The Fire Inside,” about boxer Claressa “T-Rex” Shields, is not your standard inspirational sports drama, even if it feels like it for the first half of the movie.

There’s the hopeless dream, the difficult home life, the blighted community, the devoted coach, the training montages, the setbacks and, against all odds, the win. We’ve seen this kind of story before, you might think, and you’d be right. But then the movie pulls the rug out from under you: The victory is not the end. “The Fire Inside,” directed by Rachel Morrison and written by Barry Jenkins, is as much about what happens after the win. It’s not always pretty or inspirational, but it is truthful, and important.

Sports dramas can be just as cliche as fairy tales, with the gold medal and beautiful wedding presented as a happy ending. We buy into it time and time again for obvious reasons, but the idea of a happy ending at all, or even an ending, is almost exclusively for the audience. We walk away content that someone has found true love or achieved that impossible goal after all that work. For the subject, however, it’s a different proposition; Life, and all its mundanities, disappointments and hardships, continues after all. And in the world of sports, that high moment often comes so young that it might be easy to look at the rest of the journey as a disappointing comedown.

READ MORE:Claressa Shields: ‘Fire Inside’ puts more pressure on upcoming fight

Claressa Shields, played by Ryan Destiny in the film, was only 17 when she went to the 2012 London Olympics. Everything was stacked against her, including the statistics: No American woman had ever won an Olympic gold medal in the sport before. Her opponents had years on her. She was still navigating high school in Flint, Michigan, and things on the home front were volatile and lacking. Food was sometimes scarce as was consistent parental care. Her mother (Olunike Adeliyi) even kicks her out of the home at one point. But Claressa has a savior on her side in the form of her coach, Jason Crutchfield, played by Bryan Tyree Henry, whose calming presence signals to her and the audience that she’s in good hands.

Coach Crutchfield is the one who gives an 11-year-old Claressa a shot in the first place and sticks with her through everything. And she can be a lot to handle, especially post-Olympics when reality comes crashing down. She might have a little more money and the pride of her hometown behind her, but the sponsors are not calling. The male athletes in that 2012 class seem to have skyrocketed to wealth, while she’s thinking about pawning her medal to afford groceries and diapers for her sister’s baby. And she’s not handling it well, or at least how people think a young woman should handle such inequalities. That titular fire inside is in danger of fizzling out before she’s even reached 20 and she’s wondering what it was all for in the first place.

Olympian Claressa Shields visits the USA House in London before leaving for her home in Flint, Mich. Shields was greeted by a marching band and a motorcycle escort in her hometown.

 

This is the truth of so many Olympic athletes, and professionals as well, that no one really wants to talk about. That glory is guaranteed to be short lived, probably without a multimillion-dollar deal, and then you just have to figure out what to do with the rest of your life. There are only so many commentator jobs out there.

Morrison is a celebrated cinematographer known for “Black Panther,” “Fruitvale Station” and “Mudbound,” making her feature debut as a director. And it’s a promising one, full of beautiful shots, unexpected choices and rousing fights inside the ring, anchored by a thoughtful, engaging script and compelling lead performances. “The Fire Inside” isn’t afraid to show the uglier sides of this journey, even if it makes Claressa “unlikable” for a moment.

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Claressa Shields: ‘Fire Inside’ puts more pressure on upcoming fight

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LOS ANGELES, Dec. 24 (UPI) — Boxer-turned-MMA champion Claressa Shields said the new movie about her life, The Fire Inside, in theaters Wednesday, puts more pressure on her to win her February bout.

The film stars Ryan Destiny as Shields, who became the first American female Olympic gold medalist in boxing in 2012. Shields transitioned into MMA in 2020, but will box against Danielle Perkins on Feb. 2.

On the line in this homecoming bout will be Shields’ WBC heavyweight title and WBO heavyweight title, and she’ll also compete for the vacant WBA title. She has a 15-0 professional boxing record, including three knockouts.

READ MORE:Claressa Shields hits back at Savannah Marshall: ‘You can’t beat me in anything!’…

“Who wants to have a biopic about their great life and their great story come out and then lose a fight with all these new fans?” Shields, 29, told UPI in a recent Zoom interview.

“To have a biopic come out about your life while you’re the No. 1 woman fighter in the world, it adds a little pressure to your plate,” she said

The film begins in 2006, when an 11-year-old Claressa (Jazmin Headley, with Kylee D. Allen for running scenes) walks into a Flint, Mich., gym. Coach Jason Crutchfield (Brian Tyree Henry) agrees to train her.

By 2011, 16-year-old Claressa (Ryan Destiny) is a contender for USA Boxing’s female Olympic team. Shields confirmed the film’s training montages reflected her real preparations.

“In the ring, running, push-ups, the crunches, punching the bag, hitting the pads, it was a great training montage,” Shields said. “She did very well.”

Destiny sought Shields’ advice over Zoom, particularly in how to cope with soreness after exhausting training and boxing scenes. Shields told her to rest.

22 June 2022; Claressa Shields, Boxer & Olympian, Professional Fighters League, on Sportstrade Stage, Fight club: Blood, sweat and tears, during day two of Collision 2022 at Enercare Centre in Toronto, Canada. Photo by Piaras Ó Mídheach/Collision via Sportsfile

“Go and get a massage, ice bath, hot bath, rest, drink some water,” Shields said. “It’s OK to recover. I think a lot of athletes should do more recovery.”

After winning the gold medal in 2012, Shields still struggled financially. She was not winning endorsement deals like male athletes, and USA Boxing paid female fighters less than their male counterparts.

Shields has been an advocate for pay equality in sports, specifically boxing, bringing it up whenever she can in interviews. She said she’s pleased the pay gap is closing, but feels there is more work to do.

“I try to let other girls know what I’ve learned and give them the blueprint to where they can make millions of dollars being professional women fighters,” she said.

The film did take some artistic license with Shields’ post-Olympic struggles. A scene in which she tries to pawn her gold medal never happened, but Shields said it reflected her frustration that winning the gold did not alleviate her financial struggles.

“I locked it in a drawer for a long time,” Shields said. “I considered throwing it in the Flint River because Muhammed Ali threw his gold medal in the Ohio River.”

Shields said watching The Fire Inside made her emotional and brought back memories of struggles that were not included in the film. The film does touch on Shields’ volatile relationship with her mother (Olunike Adeliyi), going hungry as a child, coping with a loss in the ring and more.

“Seeing how hungry we were when I was a kid, it showed it only two times in the scenes, but it was all the time,” Shields said. “I remember everything else that was going on in my life at that time and it makes me very emotional.”

The film ends in the lead-up to the 2016 Olympics. Even in 2024, Shields said she feels like she still has more work to do, like defend her belts in February and win more.

She said her transition to MMA made her feel complete, as well as humbled being thrown to the ground. Shields also learned how to get back up and resist arm bars and other MMA moves.

“I am a complete fighter now,” Shields said. “I was already the best woman fighter in the world in boxing, but now I feel like I can go to the other side and do some damage, too.”

There will be no holiday break for Shields when The Fire Inside opens. She will train for the Perkins fight, and didn’t even let interviews interrupt her regimen.

“I just trained this morning,” Shields said. “I have to. I am eight weeks out from the fight and I have to perform.”

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Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua branded “battle of the losers”

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Simon Jordan says a bout between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua has “no meaning” following the former’s second straight defeat to Oleksandr Usyk.

Fury’s unanimous decision defeat in Riyadh meant he joined long-time rival Joshua in having two loss to unified heavyweight world champion, Usyk.

Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn called for a showdown between the British pair, despite both men coming off defeats, with Joshua suffering a bruising fifth round stoppage loss to IBF heavyweight world champion, Daniel Dubois in September.

However, talkSPORT pundit, Jordan says the long-awaited bout has lost its shine.

Asked if he wants to see the clash, the former Crystal Palace owner said: “Not particularly.

“The battle of the losers, in terms of they’ve both come off the back of defeats.

“They no longer have the prestige they once had before.

“I like my boxing with jeopardy and with meaning, not with bragging rights and finances.

“There’s nothing on the end of it, besides everybody making sure that Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua get a big payday and someone gets the bragging rights.

“Joshua has just been cleaned out by Daniel Dubois, lost twice to Usyk.

“Fury has been beaten twice by Usyk

READ MORE:Oleksandr Usyk picks winner of Anthony Joshua vs Tyson Fury after going 24 rounds with them

“He’s not had a meaningful fight. He chose to go down the path he went down.

“He decided to fight [Francis] Ngannou, he decided to fight Derek Chisora.

“Neither one of those fights prepared him for Usyk, he’s reaped the whirlwind of it.

“I understand why people want to see it and I get it and I suspect if it was on I’ll probably watch it, but am I clamouring to watch Fury vs Joshua in a fight that has no meaning behind it, besides bragging rights?

“What’s it for? These two guys are no longer at the pinnacle of boxing.”

All three judges scored the bout 116-112 in favour of Usyk, who retained his WBA ’super’, WBC and WBO titles, scores ‘The Gypsy King’ labelled as a “Christmas gift.”

The 36-year-old remained coy over whether he would continue fighting after suffering a second consecutive professional loss.

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Oleksandr Usyk picks winner of Anthony Joshua vs Tyson Fury after going 24 rounds with them

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Oleksandr Usyk has had his say on a possible super-fight between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua – and his answer is surprising.

The Ukrainian defeated Fury for the second time on Saturday night in a masterful display at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

In May, the judges were split on who they thought won the inaugural encounter.

Two judges scored the fight in Usyk’s favour by margins of 115-112 and 114-113, while the third judge had it for Fury 114-113.

In the ninth round, Usyk caught Fury on unsteady legs with a heavy flurry and scored a standing eight count.

There was no such dramatic moment in their second fight, although Usyk was in greater control this time.

Particularly towards the back end of the fight where his stamina and mental fortitude really began to show.

In the end, Usyk got his hand raised via unanimous decision with all three judges in agreement over the scoring (116-112, 116-112, 116-112).

READ MORE:How heavyweight division is shaping up – and fights we want to see

It spelt an end to his rivalry with Fury, who is now on a collision course to face British rival Joshua in a long-awaited domestic dust-up.

Saudi boxing chief Turki Alalshikh told reporters after the fight that he wants to make the Usyk vs Daniel Dubois rematch if ‘Triple D’ can beat Joseph Parker on February 22.

Meanwhile, the chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority has Fury vs Joshua at the top of his boxing wishlist as well.

Usyk has now spent 24 rounds in the ring with the heavyweight titans and has beaten both men twice.

Asked who he thinks will win if they end up squaring off next, Usyk told Boxing King Media: “Maybe it is Anthony Joshua.”

Pressed on whether AJ could get it done inside the distance, he replied: “I don’t know, maybe it is points. I don’t know.”

Usyk’s prediction may come as a surprise to many fans considering he has freely admitted Fury was his toughest opponent to date.

Unlike Fury, Usyk was able to deal with Joshua convincingly – even if the second fight was somehow declared a split decision.

Joshua was recently knocked out by Dubois in September.

Several members of the boxing fraternity believe the Watford powerhouse no longer has the punch resistance to hang with the upper echelons of the glamour division.

Yet Usyk is backing him against the weight classes’ consensus number two.

 

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How heavyweight division is shaping up – and fights we want to see

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Oleksandr Usyk confirmed his status as the best heavyweight on the planet by beating Tyson Fury on points in their rematch.

The win sets up an intriguing selection of possible fights in 2025 as well as raising questions about the future of some of boxing’s biggest stars.

Will we finally get Fury v Anthony Joshua? Will Daniel Dubois get his shot at revenge against Usyk? Which fights are happening and which are possible?

BBC Sport analyses the heavyweight fight scene.

Which fights do we know are happening?

The next heavyweight world title fight is Dubois’ IBF defence against Joseph Parker on 22 February. That bout will probably have a huge bearing on what fights are next for the biggest stars.

On that undercard is another intriguing heavyweight clash between China’s Zhilei Zhang and undefeated German Agit Kabayel – an encounter which should tell us a lot about the latter’s capabilities at world level.

Meanwhile, veteran Derek Chisora faces Otto Wallin in Manchester on 8 February.

Most of the other heavyweight contenders do not currently have fights booked, including unbeaten British champion Fabio Wardley.

READ MORE:Tyson Fury may have just one fight left after Oleksandr Usyk defeat – here’s why it will only be Anthony Joshua

Could Usyk really return to cruiserweight?

Usyk’s next fight will largely depend on what happens between Dubois and Parker.

The two-weight undisputed champion has teased a move back down to cruiserweight, but that seems more a personal desire rather than something which makes the most financial sense.

Dubois will consider himself the top contender and is desperate to have another crack at Usyk after his loss to the Ukrainian in 2023 was marred by a tight call on a low blow.

Should Dubois beat Parker, a fight with Usyk could happen in the summer of 2025.

Were Parker to win, Dubois might demand a rematch or perhaps even Joshua would emerge as a potential contender considering he beat Parker in 2018.

And what about retirement for 37-year-old Usyk?

Speaking on the 5 Live Boxing with Steve Bunce podcast, Anthony Crolla says Usyk has already achieved “immortality” in boxing.

“He should have put his gloves in the middle of the ring [after beating Fury] and walked away on a massive high,” Crolla said.

“I think when [Usyk’s] manager spoke, he seemed certain [Usyk] wouldn’t be retiring.

“I think we’ll see him fighting next year. If he does and Usyk fights Dubois again, he’s expected to win when he’s already stopped him but I think that’s a far harder fight this time.”

Retirement or continue – Fury’s big decision

Fury, 36, sees himself at a crossroads in his career. He could retire or opt to pursue an all-British bout against long-time rival Joshua.

Bunce was at ringside for Saturday’s rematch against Usyk and believes Fury will continue fighting.

‘The Gypsy King’ has retired a few times before in his career, announcing he was finished with the sport in April 2022 only to reverse that decision a few months later.

“We might be closer than ever to seeing him walking away for good,” Bunce said of Fury.

“I really don’t want to see him coming back at 38 in 18 months’ time. If he’s going to walk away, I want to see him go forever.”

Joshua seems the obvious fight and – now both men are nursing defeats and without world titles – it could be a perfect opportunity for them to finally face off in the ring.

Who is the top contender from the next generation?

This is the big question. Dubois’ profile has exploded since he stopped Joshua in September. At 27, he is one of the youngest elite heavyweights.

He is younger than almost every one of his direct rivals including Fury, Usyk and Parker. One man who is younger than him is another Briton, Moses Itauma.

The 19-year-old stopped Demsey McKean in one round on Saturday in a hugely impressive performance against a man who had competed in over 100 more rounds and 14 more fights than him.

Itauma turns 20 on 28 December and, after 25-year-old Johnny Fisher struggled against Dave Allen, has emerged as the next big heavyweight hope.

There are others who will believe they can put their names in the mix including Scotland-based Congolese heavyweight Martin Bakole, unbeaten Australian Justis Huni and undefeated Irishman Thomas Carty.

Another contender worth mentioning is Lawrence Okolie, 31, the former cruiserweight world champion who announced himself at heavyweight with a one-round KO earlier this month.

Four heavyweight fights we want to see in 2025

Anthony Joshua v Tyson Fury

Moses Itauma v Fabio Wardley

Oleksandr Usyk v Daniel Dubois 2

Johnny Fisher v Lawrence Okoli.

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Tyson Fury at career-heaviest weight for Oleksandr Usyk rematch as he skips final interview

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Tyson Fury

Tyson Fury tipped the scales at a career-heavy weight as he faced off with Oleksandr Usyk for the final time before Saturday night’s showdown.

The Briton is bidding for revenge after he was beaten by Usyk in their undisputed clash earlier this year, in what was the first professional defeat of his career.

At Friday’s weigh-in, Fury came in at 281lbs, though he was still wearing a leather jacket, trousers and seemingly a number of layers, making it hard to know his true weight. He was only 262lbs for the first fight with Usyk.

The Ukrainian, meanwhile, weighed 226lbs, two-and-a-half pounds heavier than he was earlier this year. He also also fully-clothed on the scales, and wore a heavy chain.

Fury opted against giving an interview after the weigh-in, as Usyk said he felt “nothing” after meeting his rival for one last time before they enter the ring.

Frank Warren, Fury’s promoter, said: “Yeah he’s heavier but I think the other guy is as well.

“You can analyse it anyway you like but tomorrow night you’re going to find out who is the best. You know both of them will come to fight. We are going to see something extra, extra special.”

On Thursday, the two remarkably faced off for 12 minutes at the end of the press conference, with WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman among those to unsuccessfully try and break the eye contact.

READ MORE:Tyson Fury may have just one fight left after Oleksandr Usyk defeat – here’s why it will only be Anthony Joshua

Eventually Fury was dragged away as he and Usyk exchanged increasingly animated words, in what was the only real drama following a largely uneventful press conference.

There was no repeat of that tension at the weigh-in, as Fury broke away from the face-off, conducted from a couple of feet apart, after just a few seconds and made his way off the stage.

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Tyson Fury may have just one fight left after Oleksandr Usyk defeat – here’s why it will only be Anthony Joshua

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Tyson Fury may have only one fight left in him and it’s one Gareth A Davies believes ‘all Brits would love to see’.

Fury fought valiantly against Oleksandr Usyk in their rematch on Saturday in Saudi Arabia but it was still not enough to exact revenge as Usyk retained his belts thanks to a unanimous decision verdict.

The result preserved Usyk’s perfect record and cemented him as one of the all-time greats in the heavyweight division.

As for Fury, he is now at a crucial juncture in his career.

At 36 years of age, he only has so many years left at the top of boxing before father time inevitably catches up.

Additionally, the only two losses in his career are to Usyk, who has now beaten him twice on points.

But does he look to join the illustrious company of Muhammad Ali, Evander Holyfield, Lennox Lewis and Michael Moorer by making one final push to become a three-time heavyweight world champion?

READ MORE:Tyson Fury vs Oleksansdr Usyk LIVE result and highlights as Brit loses again

Well, according to talkSPORT boxing experts Davies and Spencer Oliver, they don’t believe that will eventuate.

Instead, a long-awaited domestic dust-up likely awaits.

“He’s got to go back and take a well-earned rest and just decide what he wants to do with his career now,” Oliver said.

“He’s achieved everything, hasn’t he? He’s done it, rolled the dice, tried to avenge a loss. It never went his way. Another great, great contest.

“What else is there to prove? What else is there to do? I tell you what might happen, I tell you where it’s going to go. I’m going to put it on the line right now and I think I’m right with this.

“We get Anthony Joshua versus Tyson Fury next. Why? Because they want it in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and I know that Turki Alalshikh wants it because he wants the best fighting the best of modern eras.

“That’s the next fight for both of them.”

Davies agreed with Oliver in terms of Joshua being the next logical opponent for Fury.

But outside of Joshua, Davies struggled to envisage any other logical opponent for Fury.

“The thing is, where does Tyson Fury go now, what does he do,” Davies said.

“There’s nothing more to accomplish. He was a brilliant heavyweight champion, two-time heavyweight champion of the world.

“If he wants the Anthony Joshua fight, fine. All Brits would love to see that fight.

“But I don’t think we’re going to see much more of Tyson Fury. He may fight Anthony Joshua, but I don’t see him coming back to fight anyone else.”

Even though Joshua and Fury are both coming off defeats, with the former being stopped in spectacular fashion by Daniel Dubois at Wembley in September, a bout between the pair would undoubtedly be a lucrative one.

Joshua and Fury’s star power, especially in England, has not waned in the face of their recent defeats and would almost certainly sell out at Wembley Stadium, if it was to be held on British soil.

However, with Joshua and Fury being 35 and 36 years old respectively, there is a limited timeframe for this fight to be made while the two are still somewhat in their primes, even if it may be at the tail-end of it.

An immediate rematch against Dubois does not appear to be on the cards for Joshua, as the former confronted Usyk in the ring after his second win and challenged him to a rematch.

Dubois must first defend his title against Kiwi contender Joseph Parker in February before he can shift focus towards exacting revenge on Usyk, who stopped the Brit in August last year.

Fury will no doubt enjoy a thoroughly-deserved rest after his second loss to Usyk.

But at some stage, he must have the conversation about what he wants to do next.

Speaking after the fight, Fury issued a cryptic response to whether he will fight again.

“You might see me fight again, you might not,” he said.

As Oliver and Davies pointed out, Joshua’s name is almost guaranteed to pop up in those talks.

Over to you, Tyson.

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Tyson Fury vs Oleksansdr Usyk LIVE result and highlights as Brit loses again

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Tyson Fury had the chance to avenge his only career defeat when he took on Oleksandr Usyk last night in their heavyweight rematch – but was on the end of another decision defeat

Tyson Fury’s mission to avenge his only professional defeat ended in crushing disappointment as he lost on a unanimous points decision to unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk in Riyadh.

Another classic encounter between the well-matched rivals ended with Usyk retaining his WBC, WBA and WBO belts by finishing 116-112 ahead on all three judges’ scorecards. It was a fair reflection of the Ukrainian’s control of the rematch given he set the pace for most of the 12 rounds and was the harder worker, landing more frequently and with greater impact.

On the undercard, Moses Itauma destroyed Demsey McKean inside the first round while Dave Allen was robbed of a win over Johnny Fisher after dropping his unbeaten British rival in the fifth round. You can re-live all the action from Saturday night right here and watch highlights of the heavyweight showdown…

Tyson Fury insisted Oleksandr Usyk had been gifted an early Christmas present after disputing the Ukrainian’s unanimous points victory in their rematch in Riyadh.

Fury lost 116-112 on all three judges’ scorecards as his bid to avenge his only career loss ended conclusively with the extraordinary Usyk retaining his WBA, WBC and WBO titles. Promoter Frank Warren said he was “dumbfounded” by both the result and the wide margin of victory – and Fury agreed.

“I felt a little Christmas spirit in there and I think he got a little Christmas gift from them judges. An early Christmas gift,” said Fury, who lost the first fight in May by split decision. “I was confident I had won that fight again. I thought I’d won both fights, but then again I’ve gone home with two losses on my record. I will always believe until the day I die that I won that fight.

“I’m not going to cry over spilt milk. It’s happened now. I know boxing, I’ve been in it all my life and you can’t change no decisions. I will always feel a little bit hard done by. Not a little bit, actually a lot. When you don’t get the knockout, this is what happens. You can’t guarantee the win.”

Read More : Will Tyson Fury fight Anthony Joshua? Will Gypsy King take a trilogy contest with Oleksandr Usyk instead?

Hearn tells Fury to fight AJ

“I don’t think it’s time to start screaming, this night is Usyk vs Fury, but the reality is there’s only one fight for Tyson Fury and that’s Anthony Joshua,” Hearn told DAZN. “It’s the biggest fight probably in the history of British boxing, everyone will always want to see it. And by the way, that wasn’t a Tyson Fury that looked finished, it wasn’t a flat performance, it wasn’t a poor performance, he didn’t look gun-shy, he didn’t look like his punch resistance was in question like we talked about earlier.

“I think Tyson Fury is still potentially at the peak of his powers, just not good enough to beat Oleksandr Usyk. But for me, AJ against Fury is the one, it’s the one at Wembley, I’m going to be pushing His Excellency [Turki Alalshikh] to make the fight, but that’s maybe one for another day, tonight belongs to Oleksandr Usyk. But Fury will struggle with this, I think. All fighters do, AJ struggled with the Dubois defeat as well, you’re a winner and when you get beat it hurts and this will hurt Fury.

Fury on what’s next…

“I’m going to go home and have a good Christmas. I’m going to wait 12 weeks. I put a lot of work in for this fight and I’m going to go home now and enjoy it.”

On whether he felt Usyk’s spirit: “I didn’t feel any spirit. I felt a little bit of Chritsmas spirit in there and I think he got a little Christmas gift from the judges. Christmas gift early!”

Mor on his performance: “I thought I won both fights. I know what I had to do… knock him out to get a decision, but do you know what… it’s boxing, it happens. And there’s no doubt in my mind I won the fight, and that’s it.”

Fury was ‘confident’ that he was ahead heading into the final round

Speaking at the post-fight press conference, the ‘Gypsy King’ insisted he felt as if he was ahead going into the final round. “Yeah. I was quite confident. I thought I won that fight again. I think I got Larry Holmesed here. I thought I won both fights, but then again, I’ve gone home with two losses on my record. So, there’s not much I can do about it. I can just fight my heart out and do the best I can. But again, I’ll always believe it till the day I die, I thought I won that fight.

Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk II highlights

Check out the action below from what was an epic main event in Riyadh. From start to finish, both men were aware of the task at hand and they both put on an exceptional performance.

Despite suffering his second loss to Usyk, Fury has absolutely no reason to hang his head in shame.

Tyson Fury reacts to defeat

In a brief conversation with ESPN, he said: “I thought I won the fight again, I was Larry Holmesed again. I was on the front foot the entire time. When you don’t get the knockout, this is what can happen.”

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Will Tyson Fury fight Anthony Joshua? Will Gypsy King take a trilogy contest with Oleksandr Usyk instead?

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Anthony Joshua Vs Tyson Fury

Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury have been linked with a huge all-British clash for years. With Fury on the cusp of his world title fight with Oleksandr Usyk on Saturday night in Riyadh, shown live on TNT Sports Box Office, there is speculation that the Briton could finally move onto a fight against Joshua in 2025. Fury, his promoters and Eddie Hearn all have had their say in the recent past.

The two fighters have circled one another for a decade, but will Tyson Fury finally fight Anthony Joshua?
Fury fights Oleksandr Usyk on Saturday night, live on TNT Sports Box Office, and whether he wins or loses, most British fight fans will hope that before Joshua and Fury step away from the sport, they will finally settle their rivalry.
Poll: Will Tyson Fury-Anthony Joshua actually happen in 2021? - Bad Left HookThe two almost fought a few years ago, before they were sidetracked, in part, by Usyk.
In 2021 it seemed set that the two Britons would meet in the ring for an undisputed clash in their next fights, but ultimately, Fury was forced to honour an obligation to take on Deontay Wilder in his trilogy rematch, which he duly won.
While he retained his WBC crown, Joshua found himself teed up to defend his three belts against Usyk, who was getting used to the heavyweight division after moving up from cruiserweight.
Ultimately, the Ukrainian would win both of his two fights against Joshua to set up an undisputed clash with Fury, which he won in May. That leads us to now, with several options ahead for Fury.
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Oleksandr Usyk aims sly dig at Tyson Fury with ‘wife’ response after revealing secret to victory in final rounds after Gypsy King claimed he had not spoken to Paris in THREE months before big fight

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OLEKSANdr usyk VS TYSON FURY
  • Tyson Fury trained solidly for three months without speaking to his wife, Paris
  • Oleksandr Usyk appeared to make reference to this in his post-fight interview
  • Relive Fury’s defeat to Usyk round-by-round with Mail Sport’s blog from the bout

Oleksandr Usyk suggested his wife was responsible for his victory over Tyson Fury in a subtle dig at the Brit – after the Gypsy King ignored his beloved Paris for three months.

Fury locked himself away in an intensive camp and claimed he had not spoken to his wife Paris, who he married in 2008 and has seven kids with.

The pair were finally reunited on Thursday night at the pre-fight press conference but their coalition did not inspire Fury to victory on Saturday in Riyadh.

Usyk won 116-112 on all three of the judges’ scorecards to retain his WBA, WBC, and WBO heavyweight belts, winning 16 of the last 18 available rounds in the second half of the fight.

Asked what the key to that stamina was, he said: ‘I don’t know, maybe I train. Good prepare. My wife helps me (smiles).

In the build-up to the fight, Usyk revealed that he had not actually seen his wife Yekaterina (Katerina) for five months, but said they spoke every day.

He and Katerina have been married for 15 years and have four children: sons Kyrylo and Mykhalio and daughters Yelizaveta and Maria, whose birth he missed preparing for the first contest between himself and Fury.

‘It’s helped me – because it’s my family,’ the Ukrainian said.

‘My little daughter, Maria, started to walk, say ‘mama’, ‘baba’ [grandmother]. This is real motivation for me.’

Fury vs Usyk 2 LIVE: Result, scorecards, stats & reaction as Usyk defeats Tyson Fury on points - BBC SportElite athletes often face time away from loved ones but it is a particularly felt theme in boxing, where fighters withdraw for long periods of time and demand unyielding focus of themselves.

Fury revealed in October that his wife Paris suffered a miscarriage on the eve of his first fight with Usyk in May, but that he was only told when he returned home.

‘She was six months pregnant. It’s not like a small miscarriage at the beginning – you have to physically give birth to a dead child, on your own, while your husband is in a foreign country.

‘To go through that on your own isn’t good.’

Paris usually attends the Gypsky King’s fights but he knew something was wrong when she was not ringside for that first bout in Riyadh, which he lost via split decision.

He said: ‘I said to my brother “she’s lost that baby”. She never told me she had lost the baby, but I knew.

‘When I got back I got the inevitable confirmation that it was gone, but she had kept it to herself.’

Fury added: ‘I could not be there for her in that moment. And that’s tough for me.

‘I have been with the woman for longer than I wasn’t with her, so it’s hard that I couldn’t be there with her in that time.’

Fury once again went the distance with Usyk on Saturday night and was praised by pundits for raising his game, though the scorecards handed him a distant defeat.

Fury stormed out of the ring after learning the result and later told Sky Sports that he felt he had won by three rounds, while co-promoter Frank Warren called a defeat by that margin ‘impossible’.

Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk: Judges' Scorecards Revealed for Rematch Fight | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors | Bleacher ReportHow brave Tyson Fury could not solve the Oleksandr Usyk conundrum: JEFF POWELL’S verdict

In the press conference, Fury was asked what’s next for him after coming up short in undisputed and then unified title fights, signalling the first losses of his entire professional career.

‘I thought I won that fight. I thought I won both fights but I’m going home with two losses on my record. There’s not much I can do about it. I can just fight my heart out,’ he said.

‘I will believe ’til the day I die that I won that fight. I was aggressive, on the front foot all night, landing to the body and head. Frank Warren [his promoter] had me three or four rounds up. A lot of people had me at least two rounds up. But I’m not going to cry over spilled milk. I can’t change the decision. When you don’t get the KO this is what happens: you can’t guarantee a win

‘You might see me fight again, you might not,’ he cryptically answered. Many fans will hope his future involves a long-awaited dust-up with Anthony Joshua.

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