Embattled Peaky Blinders star Paul Anderson makes a surprise appearance in an epic promo for the February 17 heavyweight title showdown between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Anderson was recently arrested in London on drug charges when he was admittedly in possession of crack cocaine, drug paraphernalia, amphetamines and prescription substances after a bartender allegedly smelled fumes emanating from a bathroom stall. As a result, the 48-year-old Anderson was found guilty on all charges and fined £1,345, or about $1,700.
The fight was announced in late October, so it’s likely the filming took place before Anderson’s arrest on Boxing Day, December 26.
In any case, Anderson serves as a character and narrator throughout the promo, which shows Usyk and Fury adopting archetypal roles in a number of macho film genres, including a Western scene, some Roman gladiator shots, and even an animated Samurai
‘A Tale as old as time,’ Anderson began. ‘A legendary champion in search of another champion has found his match.’
Paul Anderson is seen giving Tyson Fury a shave during the Western portion of the promo
Usyk, who often likens himself to a Cossack warrior, appears as a gun slinger in the promo
At 6-foot-9, Tyson Fury would offer rival gunslingers a pretty sizable target in a shootout
While the footage showed the 6-foot-9 Fury and 6-foot-3 converted cruiserweight Usyk in a variety of conflicts, Anderson continued, offering one banality after another.
‘A duel that transcends bullets,’ Anderson said. ‘Both men undefeated. Both men larger than life itself.’
The fight between Fury and Usyk to unify all of the major heavyweight boxing titles will take place in Saudi Arabia´s capital, Riyadh, on February 17.
The last fight to crown an undisputed heavyweight champion was in 1999, when Lennox Lewis beat Evander Holyfield to win three major titles – the WBC, WBA and IBF belts. Lewis had to relinquish his WBA title the following year in a dispute over his next title defense.
Gladiator Oleksandr Usyk appears in the promo as the background changes to the Coliseum
In the animated portion of the promo, Fury (pictured) is seen in a showdown with a Samurai
This time, it’s for four belts.
Fury (34-0-1) of England is the WBC champion and Usyk (21-0) of Ukraine holds the WBA, IBF and WBO belts, having previously been the undisputed champion at cruiserweight in 2018 and 2019.
Fury and Usyk were expected to meet on December 23 but the fight was delayed after an out-of-shape Fury’s disappointing performance in a split-decision victory over MMA star Francis Ngannou in Saudi Arabia last month.
‘I am destined to cement my legacy as the No. 1 fighter in this era and to do that, I´ve got to beat this little man,’ Fury said in November, referring to Usyk as a ‘middleweight.’
An out-of-shape Fury was knocked down in his last fight against MMA star Francis Ngannou
Fury managed to win a controversial decision over Ngannou, but appeared to be overweight
The 6-foot-9 Fury looks down at the 6-foot-3 Usyk during a faceoff in November of 2023
Ukraine’s Oleksandr Usyk is coming off a defense against Daniel Dubois in Poland
‘That’s it. Simple as. He´s a tricky man, a good boxer, slick, all of that, but I´ve seen many people like him before. When they fight the big men, they struggle and he´s going to struggle on February 17. He will lose, for sure.’
Usyk is coming off a defense against Daniel Dubois in Poland.
The Ukrainian has beaten British opponents in all of his last four fights, including when he won his heavyweight titles from Anthony Joshua in 2021 and defended them in a rematch in Saudi Arabia the following year.
‘I have no goal,’ Usyk said in November. ‘Only the way. And my way is ´The Undisputed.´ That is why this was the only fight for me. When that bell rings, I will bring the fire.’