Tony Bellew has raised a major doubt over the possibility of Tyson Fury beating Oleksandr Usyk, claiming the Gypsy King only has a 'puncher's chance'.
Bellew says Usyk is the best heavyweight boxer in the world and will have too much for Fury when the pair finally meet in May.
Boxing has not crowned an undisputed heavyweight champion since Lennox Lewis beat Evander Holyfield at Madison Square Garden in 1999.
Fury and Usyk will put their belts and unbeaten professional records on the line on May 18, three months after the original fight date.
Boxing news: Tony Bellew believes Oleksandr Usyk will beat Tyson Fury
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The pair were initially set to do battle last Saturday but Fury sustained a cut above his eye in sparring and was forced to postpone the event.
Both fighters were deep into their training programmes when Fury suffered the injury in early February.
Bellew knows all about fighting Usyk having been knocked out by the Ukrainian in his last professional match in 2018.
The former WBC cruiserweight champion claims the style Fury used to adopt when trained by his uncle Peter would have given him the edge over Usyk.
However, Bellew now reckons Usyk is undoubtedly the favourite to become undisputed champion, saying Fury's punch may not trouble the 37-year-old.
He told Matchroom Boxing: "I don’t think anyone beats Usyk. I don’t think anybody beats him. And that includes Fury.
"The craziest part about it is – I think when Fury was with his uncle [Peter] he actually does beat Usyk.
"But his style changed and now he’s an aggressive counter-puncher, so he presses you first to get you to punch – it ain’t going to work against Usyk.
"The only chance he has in my opinion is a puncher’s chance and he’s not the biggest puncher if I’m being totally honest.
"I still think he’s a brilliant fighter, take nothing away from him. But I just think Usyk’s the best heavyweight in the world."
Fury received criticism from people within boxing after news broke that he had postponed the fight.
But Bellew does not think the delay helps either fighter and has dismissed any claims that Fury is running scared.
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He told iFL TV: "It doesn’t benefit anyone. It just makes a mess of it.
"No, it doesn’t benefit anyone because both were about to peak. My only worry now is imagine if something happens again.
"I know there’s a penalty put in place, which is just insane because it would be no one’s fault if he just got cut again.
"That is probably the most expensive cut that has ever happened in the history of the world. [The criticism is] insane. Just stop it. He wants the fight.
Boxing news: Tyson Fury delayed the fight due to a cut he sustained in sparring
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"Even if he half doesn’t fancy the fight, which I understand why people are looking at it like that.
"Also, understand this from a former fighter - We’re scared of no one. I’ve faced Usyk, and I knew going into the fight that he was better than me, but I had the stupid belief in my head that I may catch him."
