The gigantic fight between Usyk and Fury runs under the radar in the surreal surroundings of Riyadh Saudi Arabia and sport

FA week in Riyadh is often a spooky experience, at least for outsiders. Unless you get up close and personal with the real fighters, Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury, or see them step out of a parked jumbo jet to perform in front of a small group of local dignitaries, chattering and exhausted on YouTube, to make their outrageous arrival To reporters, boxing feels like a mysterious rumor from the other side of the world.

It is difficult to estimate how many of the seven million people who live in this vast and bustling city even know that Usyk will defend his world heavyweight title against Fury on Saturday night, in a rematch of their classic first fight in Riyadh just seven ago months. I’ve spent hours in the company of various Uber drivers this week as we crisscross the city, and the more talkative men tend to ask two questions: Where are you from? Why are you here?

My first answer produced some pretty in-depth insights into Chelsea’s surprising rise this season, Arsenal’s inexplicable loss of creativity and Manchester City’s slow implosion. That there is so much knowledge about their teams says something about the Premier League’s global influence – but it also shows direct evidence of a real football culture in Saudi Arabia.

The country has just been awarded the 2034 World Cup in an incredible stunt orchestrated by Gianni Infantino and Fifa, but my Uber drivers seem more intent on telling me how much they love Cristiano Ronaldo despite his constant presence in this city while playing for Al-Nassr. They also don’t seem to care too much about Neymar, who has recovered from another injury at Al-Hilal. Similar noises can be heard every day in taxis all over the world.

But when they find out I’m in town to box, this strange word usually causes confusion. Finally, two clenched hands are raised to indicate old-fashioned fisticuffs. That leads to belated shouts of recognition and hazy memories of their first fight in May, but I have yet to meet a stranger in Riyadh who knows Usyk and Fury’s names.

So the typical charade of an open training session on Wednesday evening in downtown Riyadh did not cause a stir. Instead, the two heavyweights and their less celebrated counterparts on the undercard went through the ritual of prancing around the ring for a few rounds each, shadow boxing or lightly tapping the pads to sing their ditty of choice. With perfect football weather and a real chill in the still air, none of them had the chance to break a sweat.

The environment was typically surreal. Boulevard World, on the outskirts of Riyadh, is an amusement park reminiscent of Las Vegas. The fighters continued their facade of training in a part of the park helpfully named Egypt. Fake pyramids and a giant sphinx add to the inauthenticity, which stands in stark contrast to the gritty grandeur that awaits Fury and Usyk.

Fury now sports an almost biblical beard that fits his more focused approach to the rematch. He spent so much time before the first fight hurling stale old insults at Usyk that it almost seemed like he believed his own chatter that he would defeat the former undisputed cruiserweight champion. On rare occasions this week, he lapsed into buffoonery again, comparing Usyk to a rabbit he was about to cook in a pot. But that’s just Fury shouting down boxing’s isolated echo chamber out of sheer habit.

For the most part, he has stayed true to his revised script with stoic focus and dark intent. At the end of his short training break, he avoided a formal interview and repeated only three words: “pain,” “injury,” and “damage.” The rarefied atmosphere surrounding the fight so far this week will make it easier for Fury to settle into these final days tests. His problem remains that he has to face the only fighter he simply cannot intimidate or anger.

As always, Usyk is a fascinating mix. In the ring he jokes that he is an even better dancer than a fighter, and he has the enduring poise of a champion. A naturally warm and funny man, he has always lived the life of a fighter. When he goes to work, there is a core of seriousness and willingness to suffer and endure sacrifice. He pretends to hate the austere solemnity of boxing, but understands the seriousness of its demands.

Fury obviously has roots in boxing too. He has often said that it is all he really knows – a claim that belies his clear intelligence. Fury’s life was more idiosyncratic, but he is the only other contemporary heavyweight to match Usyk in his superior fighting ability.

Riyadh seems unaware of the immense battle that will soon resume between two complex and contradictory men. Surrounded by a replica pyramid path and a replica of ancient Egyptian artifacts, the big men escaped one of the final tasks of their fight week routine. They know that soon they will be alone in the ring and face each other again.