George Groves doesn’t count on Tyson Fury to combat Oleksandr Usyk subsequent – saying the unbeaten heavyweight will both meet Francis Ngannou once more or retire.
A proposed December 23 bout with Usyk for the undisputed title appears in jeopardy with Fury given an almighty scare by former UFC star Ngannou earlier than a contentious win in Saudi Arabia.
Fury was floored in spherical three earlier than getting as much as edge the competition on factors and mentioned of Ngannou in his post-fight interview: “He is given me one in every of my hardest fights of the final 10 years.”
Groves no longer solely believes Fury-Usyk might be delayed however that it may not happen in any respect, saying the Brit’s plans post-boxing may very well be dented if he have been to lose to his Ukrainian rival.
Groves advised Sky Sports activities: “There’s not an opportunity the Usyk combat is going on on that date. It isn’t Usyk on December 23, I do not suppose it is Usyk subsequent. I believe it is both Ngannou or that is the final of Fury.
“He tells everybody he’s the Gypsy King, that he’s the person, no fighter can ever beat him. There’s somebody proper now who can beat him and it is Usyk. Lots of people will suppose the identical.
“He does not have to roll the cube and get beat off the little gap-toothed Ukrainian man.
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Head of Fighter Operations at PFL Europe Dan Hardy says Fury was not ‘switched on’ in opposition to Ngannou
“He’d relatively simply sail off into the sundown. He’s an fascinating character and there are many avenues he can discover after boxing. Doorways that is perhaps shut on him or not the identical if he loses to Usyk.
“I believe he’s going to both rectify the final combat in opposition to Ngannou, which he’ll receives a commission some huge cash for and lots of people can be all in favour of. He’ll prepare higher and present up and carry out.
“Or he may retire.
Does Fury nonetheless have the identical starvation?
“There isn’t a means he did not get up the subsequent morning [after the Ngannou fight] with a great deal of doubts. ‘Have I nonetheless bought it anymore?’ ‘Why might I not deal with this man comfortably?’
“He is perhaps questioning, ‘do I actually wish to do it anymore?’
“He wasn’t the ‘folks’s champion’ till after the second Denotay Wilder combat [in 2020] and he hasn’t had that acid take a look at since preventing Wilder [in 2021]. That’s a very long time.
“He hasn’t needed to work exhausting, hasn’t needed to battle. Dillian Whyte did not present up. Dereck Chisora was like a pal. It looks like a very long time since he has most likely been actually backs in opposition to the wall.
“To roll again the clock and have that starvation nonetheless at 35, it may not be the identical. It positively will not be the identical as going out to Germany and beating Wladimir Klitschko [in 2015].”
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Sky Sports activities’ Matthew Macklin believes Fury underestimated Ngannou, as he narrowly defeated the previous MMA fighter in a controversial factors resolution
Fury’s fellow heavyweight Frazer Clarke added: “I do not know if pleasure won’t let him combat Usyk and I do not know if pleasure won’t let him combat AJ [Anthony Joshua].
“I really feel [the AJ fight] must occur. The one query is, will we get it once they have each slowed down a bit? We have to see it now. As for the Usyk factor, would he desire a confidence combat earlier than Usyk?”