Oleksandr Usyk has drafted in 6ft 8in giant Sanel Hasanovic as his huge fight with Tyson Fury creeps closer.
The Ukrainian is hoping to reign supreme next month, with the pair set to face off in the first heavyweight showdown since the days of Lennox Lewis.
Oleksandr Usyk has drafted in 6ft 8in giant Sanel Hasanovic as his huge fight with Tyson Fury creeps closer.
The Ukrainian is hoping to reign supreme next month, with the pair set to face off in the first heavyweight showdown since the days of Lennox Lewis.
Boxing news: Oleksandr Usyk is preparing for his huge fight with Tyson Fury in Saudi Arabia
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Hasanovic has won seven of his nine fights so far, with six of the victories coming via knockout.
And the Serbian has taken to social media to express a belief that Usyk will get the better of Fury next month.
“@Usykaa, after some serious sparring, I believe you will emerge victorious in the fight against Tyson Fury!" he said.
"Also, thanks to my team @KUCBoxingPromotion for the support and promotion!"
As for Fury, the Gypsy King has been sparring with Jai Opetaia to help him prepare for the fight with Usyk.
It is a showdown that has the makings of a classic, with fans from all over the world looking forward to the clash.
With both men currently unbeaten, something will likely have to give.
Usyk is perhaps the slight favourite, with the 35-year-old destroying Daniel Dubois when they met back in August.
He has also beaten Anthony Joshua twice, too, though getting the better of Fury would be his biggest achievement yet.
Fury has a point to prove, however, with many criticising the Gypsy King for the way he performed against Francis Ngannou in October.
The Briton had gone into that fight with fans expecting him to blow his opponent away.
Ngannou was making his boxing debut, having previously been a big MMA star.
But he pushed Fury all the way and even managed to knock down the heavyweight star in round three of that fight.
Fury knows he can't afford a repeat against Usyk.
And he showed off a leaner, slimmer figure with a surprise cameo appearance on Dancing on Ice on Sunday.
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Boxing news: Oleksandr Usyk is working with Sanel Hasanovic (left) ahead of Tyson Fury fight
Fury sent a message of support to Ricky Hatton, who is taking part in the ITV show.
Meanwhile, speaking to Luckyblock.com, boxing promoter Barry Hearn has revealed he wanted to sign Fury when he was an amateur.
However, his father's huge demands ultimately meant they were unable to agree on a deal.
“I’ll let you in on a secret that not very many people know; I nearly signed Tyson Fury years before he turned professional," he said.
"I was at a fight in Newcastle. Tyson – big lad, great name. That was my first reaction; big lad, great name.
Boxing news: Tyson Fury is preparing for his huge fight with Oleksandr Usyk
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"I could see money rolling in. John, his dad, said ‘my boy’s going to turn pro. He wants to sign with you. But we want a £100,000 signing fee.’
"In those days, and this is going back a number of years, that was a lot of money.
"I mean, that was like Olympic champion stuff. This kid was untested, but obviously huge."
He added: "We’ve got it wrong. And you have to take your hat off to Tyson Fury.
"He turned his life around and he became the number one in the world."
