TYSON FURY will resume sparring for his historic showdown with Oleksandr Usyk this month.
The pair were due to throw down for all the heavyweight marbles in February in the division’s first undisputed fight in nearly a quarter of a century.
Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk were set to throw down on February 17REUTERS
A horror cut in sparring for The Gypsy King postponed the postQUEENSBERRY PROMOTIONS
Fury suffered the gaping wound due to an accidental elbow
The Gypsy King’s cutman Jorge Capetillo says he’ll be back sparring in a couple of weeks
But Fury suffered a horror cut in sparring two weeks before his legacy-defining fight and the bout was pushed back until May 18.
Team Fury initially expected the Gypsy King to be out of sparring action for several MONTHS, although his wound has healed better than first expected.
Cutman Jorge Capetillo told Betway: “The fight is going to be in May so he should be going back to sparring in two or three weeks’ time.
“But the good thing is, he has been active with fighting Francis Ngannou recently and for him to get the distance and timing again is going to be easy because he has remained in the gym.
“Activity is the key and it’s his advantage for the fight.”
The accidental elbow from sparring partner Agron Smakici appeared to re-open the scar tissue left above Fury’s right eye from his 2019 clash with Otto Wallin.
And Capetillo admits there is a good chance it could re-open in his Riyadh rumble with Usyk.
He said: “There’s always a possibility that it could happen.
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“But Tyson has to do what he is good at with his distance and reach, not trying to knock him out in one punch but setting him up with big punches by using faints, his footwork and IQ in the ring.
“It is a matter of having good timing, reach and Tyson’s footwork being at his best for the fight.
“For a heal, like 90 days but it’s been 60 days or more since the cut so I am sure with the right treatment, he should be ready for May 18.
“And soon, he can start with some light sparring, nothing hard but to get the reach and distance right.
“It is more important than power punches with reach and timing. He’ll probably be ready for sparring in the next couple of weeks.”
Capetillo did wonders in the corner the night Wallin gave Fury the biggest laceration of his career and has given him a frank warning about his latest wound.
He said: “Tyson has to treat the cut well before the fight and do sparring sessions with the right head guard.
“And start with nothing crazy to make sure he doesn’t get hit hard so it doesn’t re-open.”
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