With "The Gypsy King" Fury possessing significant physical advantages, including a towering six-inch height and seven-inch reach advantage over Usyk, he'll likely seek a referee who allows him to assert his dominance. This means permitting holding and working out of clinches, enabling Fury to use his weight advantage against the Ukrainian.
On the other hand, Usyk, holding the WBA, WBO & IBF titles, will prefer a referee who intervenes when they become tangled, minimizing the impact of Fury's size advantage. This will allow Usyk to utilize his superior boxing skills and ring IQ without being overwhelmed by Fury's sheer physicality.
According to boxing journalist Chris McKenna, Mark Nelson has been appointed as the referee for the bout, marking his fourth world title clash of 2024. Nelson is best known for officiating Jeff Horn's controversial victory over Manny Pacquiao in 2017, where he faced criticism for allowing rough tactics from Horn.
Although Nelson has demonstrated his capabilities in smaller weight divisions, his experience in heavyweight fights remains relatively limited. It will be intriguing to see how he manages the Fury-Usyk bout, especially when the inevitable clinches occur.
The Fury-Usyk showdown is set to take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with the main event expected to start around 11 pm BST on various platforms including DAZN PPV, TNT Sports PPV, and Sky Sports Box Office.
