Tyson Fury has asserted that he will thrust Oleksandr Usyk into a “hurt locker” while looking for “destruction and damage” in their rematch in Riyadh. It suggests that the British fighter will open the affair more aggressively this time around.

After what has been a tame build-up, now to the fight. There is so much on the line; pride, glory and even ignominy, for the winner and the loser. Victory for the Ukrainian, and he is elevated as the king of the era. Triumph for Fury, and we reopen the debate on his place at the summit again.

The contest is complex, and will come down to the finest of margins.

‘No showboating’

There is so much to take away from the first brutal, thrilling 12 rounds between these two. In the middle period of their first encounter – Fury’s most successful period in the fight – he employed his long, strong jab, landing hurtful uppercuts to the Ukrainian’s body. It halted Usyk’s advances, and his ability to walk Fury into positions in order to land his clever attacks.

But in rounds eight and nine, that strategy went awry for Fury, as Usyk used his footwork to find success with his dangerous, mostly left-handed attacks. Armed with a new gameplan, Fury must implement the armoury which served him best in May: that means no fighting off the ropes in the early rounds, and, as his promoter Frank Warren told Telegraph Sport “no showboating this time.”

During Thursday’s packed press conference – in which the boxers faced off for almost 11 and a half minutes – Fury ignited. As they went face to face, the two refused to budge an inch, before Fury eventually let loose with an expletive-ridden verbal assault.

It was Fury boiling over, and perhaps he needed it. Fury’s mood has been a talking point all week. He has been a changed character, almost taking a vow of silence, with no slurs or insults. Up to that point, Fury had given nothing away, but the ‘Gypsy King’ is clearly intent on using what former undisputed heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis has urged him to in the build-up to this intriguing rematch: “enforce weight and size advantages” and be “a menace” from the opening bell. Easier said than done against a smaller fighter with exquisite footwork and precise combination punching, but Fury will never have a more important fight in his already decorated career.

Walk on the Wilder side

Fury must impose himself, meet Usyk in the middle of the ring, and let his heavy hands go. It is what the Briton did in the second fight of a trilogy with Deontay Wilder, after a controversial draw in their first meeting in Los Angeles in 2018. Fury set about Wilder and stopped the American in seven wild rounds. Long jabs, clever feints and head movement, and landing the long right hand.

That, after a camp of hard sparring and an increase in strength and conditioning for this dust-up in the desert, is what Fury needs again. It may be a gamble, too, if Usyk is there in the closing third of the fight, a period in which the Ukrainian excels. There is so much on the line here for both fighters. Should Fury be wary of what Usyk did to him in the ninth round last time, coming close to toppling the Briton? Perhaps, but it is early in the fight that Fury must wring the changes.

Going the distance

There is another consideration: the outcome this time could depend on how much Fury has left in his legs, and with his physicality, in spite of being the slightly younger man.

Fury must be the man to make most of the adjustments. He is certainly ready, and that has been there in his demeanour in fight week – bearded and primed to be the better man this time around.

However, Usyk has carried himself like a champion out in Saudi Arabia, and looks confident. They both have brilliant fighting IQ, which makes this second fight so potentially thrilling.

If Fury does start faster and advances more, throwing his jab early, hard and fast, he can win a tight decision. That is provided he keeps that left hand up in his guard, which he did not do in the first fight.

Yet Usyk is undeniably a master general in the ring, and has the skills to repeat his brilliant performance seven months ago. The Ukrainian looks bigger this time, knowing that Fury may well look to use his physicality more. He also has the knowledge that he almost stopped Fury in the first fight.

All of which makes this fight so unmissable. It feels like we will get a very close fight again and both men look ready.

Could it be the final fight for Fury if he wins? No one knows if the fantasy fight with Anthony Joshua will ever happen, no matter how much we would like to see them dance. Then there is the prospect of a trilogy fight with Usyk. So much will be answered when these modern greats collide at the Kingdom Arena.