Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk are the two best heavyweights in the world. Neither man has ever lost a fight as a pro, but their paths to this point have been anything but easy. Every fighter has a journey, and almost every journey involves adversity.

For Fury, this is the story of a child whose future was both unexpected yet foretold from birth. Very premature and very small, his father, a professional boxer, saw his son’s fighting spirit and named him after heavyweight champion Mike Tyson. This is the story of a prospect whose rise was predicted by legendary trainer Emanuel Steward, a contender who fulfilled that prophecy by dethroning one of Steward’s prized pupils, and a champion who then dethroned himself with his own struggles and self-sabotage. Fury’s journey has been marked by ups and downs—literal and figurative.

Nothing changes for me: Watch

For Usyk this is the story of a talented amateur who fell short in his first Olympics but won gold four years later. As a professional, Usyk took the idea of “world champion” seriously, traveling from country to country to defeat hometown heroes and collect titles until he was the undisputed king of the cruiserweight division. Usyk's story continued with his transition to the heavyweight division, where he faced initial struggles, adjusted, and eventually found glory, all while serving as an inspiration amid the ongoing war in his homeland.

Size does matter: Watch

Fury once had almost all of the titles, then lost everything without even losing a fight. In 2015, he out-boxed Wladimir Klitschko, the longtime heavyweight champion, to become the lineal champ. However, he was soon stripped of the IBF belt due to a rematch clause with Klitschko and later gave up the WBA and WBO titles amid struggles with mental health, drugs, alcohol, and a positive test for a banned substance. After a hiatus of more than two-and-a-half years, Fury returned in 2018, culminating in a dramatic draw and later victories over Deontay Wilder.

Usyk’s journey at heavyweight began in 2019 with a technical knockout of Chazz Witherspoon. He faced Derek Chisora in 2020 and adapted to the new division, leading to his 2021 victory over Anthony Joshua in London. Usyk retained his titles in a rematch against Joshua in 2022 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, setting the stage for the clash with Fury.

Despite their recent vulnerabilities, Fury and Usyk have overcome numerous challenges to reach this point. They have succeeded amid their obstacles and despite them. Their climactic scene approaches: For 12 rounds or less this weekend, Fury and Usyk will fight to become the undisputed heavyweight champion. Years of life and a career’s worth of feats are all distilled into this moment.

Image Credit: ESPN