Big boxing events are on the horizon this winter with the Fury vs Usyk fight a major talking point for many in the run-up to the February 17th event. Weighing in on this exciting topic is the undefeated pro boxer, Jevgenijs Aleksejevs. Sponsored by Mightytips.com, Jevgenijs “The Hurricane” Aleksejevs is in a prime position to discuss the nuances of this fight just before his own bout against Nicolas David Veron on December 22nd.
Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk fight
The Tyson Fury Usyk fight is not until next year, but already this is a historic bout. These two stars in the heavyweight world have finally agreed to meet and battle it out for the championship title and the ability to claim undisputed champion status.
Fury, the British-born WBC champion, will take on Ukrainian Usyk, who already holds the WBA, WBO, and IBF titles. Doing so would mean that Fury can claim the mantle of undisputed champ, a title not held since Lennox Lewis (a fellow Brit), held it more than two decades ago.
It’s a fight that’s been a long time coming, with many boxing fans fearing it would never take place at all. Numerous failed negotiations in early 2023 seemed to put this fight firmly out of reach. However, after more discussions, the fight is on and taking place at the start of the new year. The event will be held in the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
However, the talking point now is who will be crowned the victor and what are each fighter’s chances? This Tyson Fury Oleksandr Usyk fight is a hard one to call. Both fighters are unbeaten, though Fury drew against Deontay Wilder in 2018. His recent split-decision win over former MMA fighter Francis Ngannou has not dented his confidence. At a November press conference, Fury unleashed his vitriol against Usyk, saying he will “break” the Ukrainian as he psyched himself up to take him on.
If we look at the bookies, the odds are in favor of Fury. At 35 years old, he’s the bigger fighter, with many citing his size as a decisive factor in this upcoming battle. At odds of around 15/4 to win, it’s clear that he’s got the slight edge. But it’s a close-run thing as Usyk is at 11/2 to win by knockout and could have some serious surprises up his sleeve when the time comes.
Jevgenijs Aleksejevs’ take: “I have changed my own opinion on this bout about a dozen times,” says the European boxing champ. “I favored Fury first, then I switched to Usyk and I still think he has a better chance to win. Also, we see some worrying signals from Fury’s father who says he wants his son to change his staff because they cannot get 110 percent out of him. He [Fury’s father] also says that Usyk can find the keys to beat his son. I would say it’s 60-40 or maybe 65-35 for Usyk.”
Who is Jevgenijs Aleksejevs
Hailing from Latvia, the 30-year-old Aleksejevs is undefeated across 14 pro boxing bouts, an impressive record. Lightning-fast hands are what helps him secure these victories, and there are likely many more to come. The boxer is ready to defend his unbeaten record as he heads into his 15th pro boxing fight on December 22.
In his early years, Aleksejevs was a prodigious Taekwondo talent, but this escalated to even greater heights when he shifted to kickboxing, becoming, at age 15, the European champion in his age group. All was going well until 2015 when he broke his leg in his first fight at the KOC World Championship Fight Show. Bringing a halt to his career, all looked lost. During the recovery period, he traded feet for fists, taking his frustration out on boxing pads.
And it was at this point that his skills and speed were recognized in yet another sport. With the help of Latvian, Mairis Briedis, the cruiserweight world champion, Aleksejevs was able to turn his career around and make an impressive rise through the ranks in the world of professional boxing.
As a middleweight fighter, he is slightly taller than the norm at 6 ft. He uses an orthodox stance and has the ability to out-reach and out-power opponents during the fight’s duration. Despite only fighting in Riga, he is ready to take on more challenges, and nowhere is this more evident than in his upcoming fight with Veron.
Jevgenijs Aleksejevs vs Nicolas David Veron fight
Like the two fighters in the Fury vs Usyk contest, Aleksejevs enters this next fight unbeaten. But, unlike most of his previous fights, this one will take place in Valencia in the Pabellon Municipal Sedavi. The aim is for The Hurricane to extend his 14-bout winning streak to 15. It’s actually his second time in Spain, just a few months ago, he was on the Iberian Peninsula fighting against Dimitri Trenel, a fight that ended in the third round with a comprehensive stoppage.
Against Argentinian Veron, Aleksejevs is taking the time to diligently prepare. He recognizes that this will be a very tough fight as Veron has a particularly powerful punch. To achieve a title fight, preferably for the WBC belt, Aleksejevs has his sights set admirably high. But, he’s got to get past Veron first.
With a mixed fight history, (11-11-1), Veron is not one to be overlooked or brushed aside. Especially pertinent is the fact that Veron has a history of big fights, so he can perform well under pressure, something that perhaps, Aleksejevs will need more experience in. Veron’s last appearance was not a successful one, losing to the Russian, Samat Abdyrakhmanov. However, he was still able to go the distance in the bout, losing by unanimous decision. He’s going to be tough to beat no matter what, making this a testing match for both fighters.
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