David Haye believes Tyson Fury already heads into the fight against Oleksandr Usyk with a disadvantage due to the cut above his eye.
The first heavyweight unification bout of the century finally takes place on Saturday after it was delayed for a few months after Fury's injury in sparring.
There were some fears the fight would be pushed back until later in the year to allow Fury to fully recover.
But there was some surprise when Fury accepted terms to have the fight on May 18.
Tyson Fury's cut is still visible on his face
REUTERS
The Gypsy King appears leaner than he's looked for several years heading into the fight against Usyk having stepped up his training regime.
Fury will still hold the height and weight advantage over Usyk when they step into the ring on Saturday.
However, Haye still feels Usyk will be the favourite due to the fragility of Fury's cut.
“That cut has opened up twice – when he first had it and then in sparring – so 100 per cent it’s a weak area,” Haye told the PA news agency.
“The skin around the eye is quite thin and once it’s damaged….particularly because it’s been only three months since it opened again.
“Expect the eye to open and for Tyson to have one eye. Having one eye against a southpaw isn’t ideal because you need your wits about you.
“It’s definitely an advantage for Usyk because Tyson will want to avoid being hit in that specific place and when you’re worried about a specific thing, you’re not thinking about what else you’ve got to do.
“It will definitely be in the back of his mind and it will have been in his mind in sparring, making sure shots don’t come that way.”
Tyson Fury didn't look at Oleksandr Usyk during the final press conference
REUTERS
Haye's concerns follow on from Lennox Lewis raising his own worries about Fury's current weight.
Fury was criticised for looking sluggish and slow against Francis Ngannou when he got knocked down.
He appears to have responded by taking his training regime to fight Usyk more serious than ever in his career as he has shown off a more trim figure.
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Lennox Lewis is also concerned about Tyson Fury's weight change
PA
But Lewis believes Fury is giving up too much of his size advantage by cutting down too much weight.
"He’s lost a lot of weight, his legs are skinny," Lewis said.
“I’m a little bit concerned maybe if he gets hit on the chin, he doesn’t have the legs anymore.
"For me, I’ve got big legs so when I got hit on the chin, it’s not easy to knock me down.”
