It took Oleksandr Usyk just 30 seconds to change the course of his fight against Tyson Fury when the pair first met on May 18th earlier this year. The Gypsy King was slightly ahead in a very close fight until a sudden left hook from Usyk on the nose shocked the 36-year-old down. For the next 20 seconds, it was a barrage of left and right hooks from Oleksandr Usyk as the Manchester native fell onto the ropes. Fury tried to come back into the fight but it never worked and the Ukrainian became the first heavyweight champion to hold all four belts.

In the match’s aftermath, Tyson Fury had a bloody nose and teary eyes. Even during the last 3 rounds, the 34-1-1 boxer was constantly checking his nose with his gloves. The bloody nose left fans wondering if it had been broken. After almost 6 months, in the leadup to their rematch, the two fighters sat down face-to-face where The Gypsy King talked about the incident and set the record straight.

A bloody affair

With only four weeks left till the upcoming rematch on December 21, Fury and Usyk sat down with commentator Steve Bunce and looked back on their first fight. Bunce asked Tyson Fury about his nose, directly addressing whether the left hook broke the nose or not. The Manchester native stated that there was nothing majorly wrong with his nose. However, he also accepted the impact of the punch and how badly it hurt during the impact. “There was nothing wrong with my nose. Just blood, got punched on the nose and it happens and your eyes water and get hit in the nose,” stated Fury.

However, the former WBC heavyweight champion made it clear that “It wasn’t broken,” and he does not wish to use that bump as an excuse for the fight he lost. However, the punch did affect Fury’s performance as it became harder for him to maintain a normal breathing pattern. Thus, affecting his stamina and restricting him from launching a counter against Usyk’s relentless barrage.

Furthermore, the bump also induced chaos in Tyson Fury’s corner. Head trainer Sugar Hill Steward, coach Andy Lee, and father John Fury all suggested different things to the boxer. Many fans and experts thought that there were too many voices, and it played a big part in Fury’s defeat. However, the 6’9 giant shut down those claims in a stern manner.

Tyson Fury ignoring outside chatter

The Morecambe resident was evidently defensive about his team and stated, “People can have opinions and what people want to say but at the end of the day they’re not in there doing the fighting.” He claimed that every voice coming from his corner was the people he knew and could trust, “so it’s really unimportant what other people think.”

According to Fury, the only thing that matters is whether he is happy with his corner and team. He is happy with the team and trusts them with his life. The Gypsy King has confirmed that he will stick with the same team for this rematch. Whether all three will return to his corner for the fight remains unclear.

What are your views about Tyson Fury’s comments? Do you think the nose and the corner were crucial to his loss? Let us know your thoughts down below.