I’ve sparred Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk, one gave me a car and the other juggled but I’ll never forget boxing education

When, on May 18, Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk finally compete for the undisputed heavyweight title, there will be one observer perhaps less surprised by what is happening than anyone else in the world.

Heavyweight Jordan Thompson, from Manchester, worked as a training partner for both and, as a result, not only repeatedly shared the ring with two of the best fighters of the modern era, but also watched them at practice several times.

Heavyweight Thompson, 30, challenged Jai Opetaia for the IBF cruiserweight title in just his 16th fight. He risked fighting the much more experienced champion in part because of his rapid progress as a professional, which he believes owes much to time spent with Fury and Usyk in Las Vegas, the UK and Kiev.

“I got a phone call about the Usyk fight, and I didn’t even think twice about it,” he told talkSPORT. “I said, ‘Yes, no problem, it’s the experience of a lifetime.’

“I was alone – I didn’t really think about it on the way. I was staying right in the middle of kyiv. The fight – going to the middle of nowhere; in the countryside; they had three little cabins – truly isolated, a truly mysterious place. The first spar, we entered a small back room. The ring was tiny. ‘This is going to be fun.’

“The first time, I participated in two rounds with him. It was for the (Murat) Gassiev fight (in 2018). I do my thing, I’m myself and I try not to get stuck. I did some really good laps with him. There were about four of us, in and out – one light heavyweight, one heavyweight, one heavyweight, one super heavyweight – so he was going around.

“He would do three rounds with the light heavyweights, three rounds with me, then he would do three rounds with the heavyweights, then he would do three rounds with the super heavyweights – and then he would go to four rounds. each. But then the super heavyweight – he was actually doing five-minute rounds with him at one point.

Usyk, then 31, traveled to Moscow – even in the years before Russia invaded Ukraine, tensions between the two countries were high enough that the environment would have been more than hostile – and produced a perfect performance that earned him a large audience. unanimous decision and one of his finest hours.

“He’s a phenomenal boxer,” Thompson continued. “Phenomenal athlete – he definitely lives his life and takes his business very seriously. I’m doing shadowboxing, warming up with my groups and stuff, he’s standing there juggling balls, then he’s doing breathing exercises and stuff like that. What he posts on his social media largely reflects the way he goes about his business – he’s a bit of a joker, (but) as soon as he gets in the ring, he lights up, and that’s not all. is not someone to play with.

“Composure – whether mental; physical – (he was) a very, very calm individual, and just very intelligent. He knew what I was doing long before I did it. A very, very calculated, intelligent and intelligent boxer. It’s all about hitting and not being hit; doesn’t really engage in unnecessary dusting; his footwork for a guy that size is special. He’s a special fighter.

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While Thompson’s time with Usyk gave him insight into one of the world’s most admired fighters, facing Fury before his two victories over Deontay Wilder – the first fight between them ended in a draw – he may have learned even more about one of the most revered fighters. of all heavyweights while he remained at his peak.

“He’s a special man,” Thompson said. “If you’re in the camp, he treats you like one of his own. He welcomes you. He really did a lot for me as an individual and as a boxer. We had good conversations; he gave me very good advice; he really goes above and beyond.

“(Las) Vegas was the first camp for the second Wilder fight. Then we fought – a small camp – when he was supposed to fight (Agit) Kabayel, and then the third fight with Wilder. We spent a lot of time there too – we were there for about four or five weeks in Morecambe.

“He made sure we had a car in Vegas; he put us up in a really nice place; When we were in Morecambe he gave us his own car to get us around. Unfortunately, not the Ferrari. He always checked in; he always made sure we had enough money for food; he hung around and gave us advice; tell us about sparring. He even let us train with the coaches.

“Moving the way he does – his reactions; his hand accelerates at this size; the speed of his feet – it is second to none. That’s why people talk about him and Usyk: they have a lot of similarities. Ring IQ – they are very intelligent; very relaxed; very composed; their footwork; they are mostly affected and unaffected.

Fury and Usyk were first scheduled to fight on December 23, until the 35-year-old Fury’s disappointing performance in victory over Francis Ngannou forced a postponement to February 17, and the cut he suffered during the fight forces another, until May.

“Fury can get you to do whatever he wants – that’s pretty special,” said Thompson, who, after hand surgery, hopes to return to the ring later this summer. “There’s a method to everything, and again, it’s very, very adaptable.

“With Usyk, we have always seen that he is a phenomenal tactician and technical boxer. But with Fury, no matter what is thrown at him, he will adapt to it and he will find something to achieve victory.

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