“Usyk vs. Fury: body language expert named the winner of the fightBody language expert Judy James analyzed the behavior of Usyk and Fury before the fight in Riyadh. In her opinion, the Ukrainian showed more confident behavior, while Fury showed signs of anxiety.”, — write on: unn.ua
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Fury and Usyk had a stunning 11-minute showdown on Thursday and met again at the weigh-ins on Friday.
The pair will go head-to-head for Usyk’s WBA, WBO and WBC heavyweight belts on Saturday night in Riyadh, with Fury hoping to avenge his split decision defeat in May.
Fury and Usyk had to face off on Thursday, with both trying to gain a psychological advantage over each other, with the Gypsy King vowing to “cause a lot of pain” and “do a hell of a lot of damage”.
But it was the Ukrainian, according to body language expert Judy James, who got the upper hand after their confrontation, as she told BetUK.
“Usyk won the ten-minute staredown. He was so motionless and firm that I believe he could still be there now in the same position. This shows physical and mental resilience and a calm focus that is breathtaking,” she said. James.
“His gaze is alert and focused, making him look silently ready for battle. His blink rate is almost negligible, suggesting no tension or stress, and when he does blink, it’s a hard blink, showing inner anger.
His responses to Fury make him appear calm, unintimidated and unfazed. He looked at Fury without changing his expression, without grimacing or frowning.
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At the weigh-in, his body posture was purely professional, with muscular contractions and raised fists. His signature pose with a raised chin and a frown speaks of concentration and fearlessness.
This man has no signs of weakness in his body language, except for a couple of subtle signs during the confrontation where his mouth seemed to twitch, which could be a hint of internal anxiety.”
However, it was bad news for Fury, who suffered his first career defeat at the 36th attempt back in May.
That night the judges scored the fight 115-112 Usyk, 114-113 Fury and 114-113 Usyk, leaving the Gypsy King bitter as he stated that “people are siding with Usyk because of the war in Ukraine” and body language guru James believes Fury could get “another blot on his record”.
“Fury’s complete change from amiable, chatty showman to this brooding, Grizzly-Adams, monosyllabic stage outsider is so sharp that it can be a risky option.
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His body language in both the conference and weigh-ins is so restrained that it comes across as over-kill, over-congruent and inauthentic. His wrinkly eye smiles keep trying to break out, and he seems to suppress them physically by running a hand over his beard or face. Such suppression drains him of emotional energy that he probably should be saving for fighting.
He arrived at the weigh-in with his hands in his pockets, a gesture associated with hiding or not wanting to be somewhere. He lurked in the depths of the stage and left it before giving an interview.
While posing with Usyk, he did two important things: his hands fell into a fig leaf pose, which is a protective barrier in front of his crotch, and his chewing became so extreme that we could see the gum. Athletes often chew gum to combat anxiety.
A comparison of their body language would then put the chances of victory in Usyk’s corner. Fury seems too busy trying to be something he’s not, and that doesn’t intimidate his opponent, but it can confuse him.
… By the end of their epic confrontation, something seemed to have truly snapped in Fury. His face became sweaty and his expression turned terrifying as he screamed at his opponent. If he can get into that more focused state, with a strong uppercut, he can still get the win.”
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