Body language expert Judi James believes the sight of Tyson Fury puffing out his cheeks was a ‘red flag’ before his defeat to Oleksandr Usyk on Saturday night.
The 36-year-old had gone into the showdown at the Kingdom Arena hoping to bounce back after losing his first bout with the same opponent earlier in the year.
Yet while Fury produced a spirited display, he was ultimately defeated with Usyk coming out on top via unanimous decision.
Body language expert James has now opened up on the Gypsy King.
Tyson Fury showed a ‘red flag’ before his defeat to Oleksandr Usyk, according to Judi James
PA
Speaking to BetUk, she’s expressed a belief that Fury’s behaviour before the fight was always proof that he’d fail to win.
She said: “Fury vanished from the ring and the world stage tonight after losing to Usyk, leaving a very emotional, almost tearful-looking Frank Warren to stand stabbing a finger at the scorecard in a display of disbelief.
“Fury had sacrificed everything for this fight: three months of his marriage; his reality TV good looks thanks to his grizzly beard; his dad’s support in his corner and even his affable, fun-loving persona.
“At the end of the battle he stood with one fist raised aloft in a signal of assumed victory that just looked like another part of the performance that was never really authentic.
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“There was one key gesture though, that seemed to signal a motivational glitch or problem and which acted as a red flag in terms of his chances of winning this fight.
“A very chilling gesture of the puffing out of air as he got down to the business of the fight suggested he just wanted to get it over with, whereas successful boxers tend to look excited by and longing for the fight itself.
“Some of the best boxers have approached their fights looking like dogs pulling to get off the leash and get stuck in.”
Fury hasn’t taken the defeat well.
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The boxing star stormed out of the ring once it was announced that Usyk had secured victory.
That meant Fury was unable to provide immediate reaction to the clash, while Usyk spoke out and thanked his family and friends for their support.
Fury did, however, vent his frustrations at the post-fight press conference.
The boxing star insisted Usyk had been handed the win as a ‘Christmas gift’, saying: “I felt a little Christmas spirit in there and I think he got a little Christmas gift from them judges. An early Christmas gift.
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Tyson Fury has been left devastated by his defeat to Oleksandr Usyk
PA
“I was confident I had won that fight again. I thought I’d won both fights, but then again I’ve gone home with two losses on my record.
“I will always believe until the day I die that I won that fight.
“I’m not going to cry over spilt milk. It’s happened now. I know boxing, I’ve been in it all my life and you can’t change no decisions.”
When asked about his future plans, he added: “You might do, you might not do [see him again]. Who knows. We’ll talk about that next year.
Tyson Fury is set to spend some time with his family over Christmas following his loss to Oleksandr Usyk
REUTERS
“What’s next for me? I’m going home and having some time off. For sure.
“I’m going to go home and have a good Christmas. I’ve been away 12 weeks working for this fight.
“I’m going to go home now and enjoy it. We’re on for a nice Christmas in the Fury house and thank God we’re both out of the ring in one piece.”