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Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury are set to reignite their heavyweight war in Saudi Arabia on Saturday.
Boxing's finest prize is up for grabs this weekend in a heavyweight rematch for the ages. Saudi Arabia, the new epicentre of sporting excellence, will stage the high-anticipated bout between the goliath pugilists.
Oleksandr Usyk, who carries the burden of a war-torn country on his shoulders, emerged victorious in May. All the belts were on the line for the first undisputed heavyweight clash since Lennox Lewis defeated Evander Holyfield in 1999.
Politics ensure the rematch with Tyson Fury, the 6ft 9in, unorthodox slugger from UK soil, will not be for all the marbles. But pride takes precedence over belts - with each fighter striving to be crowned No.1 of their era.
Many will be roaring on the “Gypsy King” to avenge his loss. With Usyk dispatching Dereck Chisora, Anthony Joshua twice and Daniel Dubois, Fury, having already taken a shellacking from the Ukrainian, remains the last British hope.
But a minority of Newcastle United supporters may lean towards Usyk following a chance meeting earlier this year. At a media scrum in October to promote the fight, the 37-year-old was pictured with a Toon jersey.
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Proudly holding a Usyk #17 shirt, the picture sparked confusion among supporters. Why would arguably the pound-for-pound best fighter on the planet, preparing for a slobberknocker with Fury, be repping the famous black and white?
NewcastleWorld understands Alex Trifonov, a Ukrainian boxing coach who lives on Tyneside, previously sparred with Usyk and caught up with his former partner at the press conference. Trofonov trains at O’Tooles' boxing gym in Byker and persuaded Usyk to pose with the Newcastle shirt.
When polled on social media, one Toon fan claimed he is only rooting for “one winner” while referencing the Usyk x Newcastle collaboration. The main focus for the Magpies on Saturday will be at Portman Road, where Eddie Howe and Co are aiming to deliver a knockout blow to Ipswich Town, but as the hours pass and attention turns to the pay-per-view slugfest, that support could be transferred to the inspirational Ukrainian…
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