Former cruiserweight world champion Johnny Nelson thinks that Tyson Fury is struggling to play mind games with Oleksandr Usyk.
Fury and Usyk meet to contest the title of undisputed heavyweight champion on May 18 (live on DAZN, click here for details).
The Briton is the bigger man and holds the WBC championship, with Ukrainian fighter Usyk the unified WBA, WBO and IBF world champion.
The duo have a long-running duel that largely is carried out in good humour and with respect, and writing for Sky Sports, Nelson suggested that Fury’s usual tactics of intimidation and camaraderie are falling on deaf ears this time.
He explained: “Tyson Fury, what he does, he plays the fool to catch the wise like he did with Wladimir Klitschko. Klitschko disrespected him, undermined him, thought he was an idiot, a clown.
“He gets in their face, he bullies them, he abuses them so they get angry and so they aren't using their brain. Or he'll try the pal effect, he'll pal them up as if he's his mate and then knock them out.
“We saw it when he boxed Dillian Whyte, Dillian was full of fire and intention, and then they laughed and joked and had a dance, that wasn't the Dillian Whyte that likes the smoke.
“With Usyk the problem is it's being lost in translation, so Tyson is finding it very hard to intimidate Oleksandr Usyk. When they met face to face he tried to use physicality and Usyk, good on him, was cool and didn't give it back.”
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