Tyson Fury’s sparring partner reveals crucial change for Oleksandr Usyk rematch

Fury has increased the intensity of his sparring for the rematch with Usyk, with South African fighter Kevin Lerena revealing a different side to the British heavyweight

Tyson Fury’s sparring partner Kevin Lerena has revealed a crucial difference in the British heavyweight’s preparation for his blockbuster rematch in Riyadh with Oleksandr Usyk.

Fury’s cut to his face delayed the first fight and the South African fighter, who holds the WBC’s bridgerweight world title, has now revealed how the former world champion dialled back his sparring and total rounds in training before his first professional defeat.

Now though, Lerena believes Fury has entered the highly-anticipated fight in better shape with superior sparring and greater variety to his game as a result.

• Fury vs Usyk 2 LIVE: Latest updates and results from heavyweight title rematch

"A complete mindset shift, he was coming off a loss, he was dialled in, complete focus and a change in his demeanour, he's better prepared for this fight, in the sense he's had more quality rounds,” Lerena told IFL TV.

“For the first fight after the cut, he wouldn't have had the amount of rounds he would have wanted. This fight, it hasn't been a worry for him. I think we'll see a better, in shape Tyson, not in terms of body shape, we're talking about rounds in the tank. I think he'll have more rounds in the tank to concentrate and be more effective than Usyk.

“You never know what's going to come, you never know if he'll force the pace, box on the back foot, wrestle you, when he boxes behind his jab, uses his range and reach, he's very hard to hit. Nobody can tell me different. When he switches on, he's a hard man to fight."

Fury claimed he cut himself off from his family during an intense training camp and has sported a long beard this week, as he aims to avenge his sole professional loss.

“It is interesting,” Sky Sports’s Andy Scott said on Friday (20 December). “[Fury] is calling it ‘beast mode’, it’s very much a camp mentality; he’s grown out the beard [in] a hard training camp.

Tyson Fury has made a key change for his rematch with Oleksandr Usyk (Getty Images)

“During the discussions, it was flagged by team Usyk. ‘Will Tyson Fury be required to trim that beard?’, presumably because it acts as a cushion.

“The commission ruled ‘no’, because – as it is – there are no specified rules. They want a trim and neat beard, so they don’t want a sharp beard that you could use to rub on your [opponent’s] face and aggravate a cut, and obviously they don’t want something that is too extreme.

“But they were quite happy with that beard, and this is not stating the obvious but: it’s not gonna grow [much] overnight! So, it is a relief that it isn’t gonna become a talking point, but it is worth flagging.”

Tyson Fury at the press conference for his rematch with Oleksandr Usyk (Action Images via Reuters)

However, Usyk’s promoter Alex Krassyuk told The Independent: “Beard rule is grossly violated, so Tyson’s beard has to be trimmed. We will push it further.”

Krassyuk also highlighted the WBC’s rules, specifically: “A boxer may [sport] a trimmed beard and/or moustache as long as, [at] the discretion of the commission and the supervisor, the facial hair thickness does not: (1) cushion or in any way affect the impact or trajectory of punches; or (2) cause cuts or abrasions to his rival.”

Fury, 36, has alternated between being clean shaven and sporting a beard in recent years. In his first fight with Usyk, 37, he was clean shaven, while he had a shorter beard against Francis Ngannou last October.

Arguably his thickest beard to date was on display during his trilogy fight with Deontay Wilder in 2021, when the Briton stopped his rival for the second time in three fights – after they initially drew in 2018.