A body language expert believes Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk are already “wobbly” and “dimmed” – to such an extent that she predicted a clear winner.
Fury and Usyk shared a stunning 11-minute, 20-second face-off on Thursday and met again at Friday’s weigh-in.
The pair will go head to head for Usyk’s WBA, WBO and WBC heavyweight belts on Saturday night in Riyadh, with Fury seeking revenge after his split decision loss in May.
Fury and Usyk had to be separated on Thursday and both attempted to gain a psychological advantage over the other, with the Gypsy King promising to “dish out a lot of pain” and “do some damn damage”. .
But it is the Ukrainian who, according to body language expert Judi James, has the advantage after their confrontation, as she herself said. BetUK.
‘Usyk won the ten-minute staredown. He was so still and solid that I think he could still be there in the same pose. “This suggests physical and mental resilience and a calm purpose that is impressive,” James said.
Body language expert believes Oleksandr Usyk has psychological advantage over Tyson Fury
Judi James says the Ukrainian seemed more “focused” and “professional” while Fury was “subdued” and “wobbly”
Fury hopes to avenge his May loss and claim the WBA, WBO and WBC heavyweight belts.
‘His gaze appears fixed and focused, making him appear silently prepared for a fight. His blinking frequency is almost negligible, indicating a lack of tension or stress, and when he blinks he does so strongly, showing inner anger.
‘His responses to Fury make him seem calm, unintimidated and unaffected. He looked at Fury with no change of expression and no pantomime grimaces or frowns.
‘At the weigh-in, his body posture was purely professional, with muscle flexes and raised fists. His characteristic pose with raised chin and frowning gaze suggests concentration and bravery.
‘His body is spread out in an act of professional aggressive excitement rather than strut.
“The man has no signs of weakness in his body language, apart from a couple of subtle signals during the confrontation when his mouth appeared to quiver in what could be an indication of inner anxiety.”
However, it was bad news for Fury, who suffered the first defeat of his career at the 36th attempt in May.
That night the judges scored the fight 115-112 Usyk, 114-113 Fury and 114-113 Usyk, leaving the Gypsy King bitter when he declared that “people are siding with Usyk because of the Ukraine war”, and the Body language guru James thinks Fury could be heading for another stain on his copybook.
‘Fury’s complete reversal of status from an affable, chatty showman to this moody, monosyllabic Grizzly-Adams exiting the stage is so sharp that it could be a risky choice.
Fury’s transition to a ‘monosyllabic stage leaver’ could be draining his emotional energy
Meanwhile, Usyk’s behavior did not reveal any signs of weakness, other than a modicum of possible internal anxiety.
“His body language at both the conference and the weigh-in is so dull that it seems overdone, overly congruent and inauthentic. His wrinkled smiles keep trying to burst out and he appears to be physically suppressing them by running a hand over his beard or face. Suppressing like this It requires emotional energy that you should probably save for the fight.
‘He arrived at the weigh-in with his hands in his pockets, which is a gesture associated with hiding or not wanting to be somewhere. He lurked at the back of the stage and left the stage before doing an interview.
‘When posing with Usyk, she performed two significant acts: her hands fell into the fig leaf pose, which is a self-protective barrier in front of the crotch, and her chewing became so extreme that we could see the gum. Athletes often chew gum to combat anxiety.
‘There was no ten-minute stare, instead Fury turned around and then came back. The movement of Usyk’s hand in his direction seemed dismissive.
“A comparison of their body language would then place the chance of winning in Usyk’s corner. Fury seems too busy trying to be something he is not and does not intimidate his opponent by doing so, but it could confuse him. It suggests that he is floundering, changing gears. status as an advertisement for his fans rather than for himself.
‘But… there was a moment of body language that made a Fury victory look more promising. At the end of their epic look, something seemed to have genuinely broken in Fury. His face became sweaty and his expression looked fearful as he yelled at his opponent. If you can take advantage of that state of heightened concentration, with a strong uppercut you could still achieve a victory.”
Of course, the fight is won in the ring and not in the preparation. Fury still has every chance of achieving a result, and Mail Sport’s Charlotte Daly has been listening to some of the experts on how she can tilt the clash in her favour.
Lennox Lewis explained how the 36-year-old must apply an aggressive strategy and make the most of his physical advantage.
On Friday night, Fury weighed 19 pounds more than he did in the first fight, checking in at 281 pounds, although his actual weight is expected to be in the region of 270 pounds. Meanwhile, Usyk weighed 226 pounds compared to the May fight when he weighed 223 pounds.
Lennox Lewis has revealed the game plan he thinks Fury should employ against Usyk
Lewis believes Fury needs to use his hook more regularly in Saturday’s rematch.
He has also urged Fury to be more aggressive and try to push Usyk back into the ring.
“I would immediately go after him because I would say he’s not as strong as me,” Lewis told Mail Sport.
‘And he would realize this and he would move and it would be a situation where I would cut off the ring and put my weight on him, throwing that jab, that left hook, that right hand. I would be a specialist boxer in that fight using all my strength.
‘Whether it’s my hook, whether it’s my jab, whether it’s my hook. And I have to put all those things together.
“You’ll see that he had a big spin with his hook, so he’ll throw a lot more.”
‘I’d throw some combinations and finish with the hook, because he’ll throw the left, then the hook and duck under that. So the hook should be there.’
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