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The prospect of a heavyweight unification bout between WBC champion Tyson Fury and IBF, IBO, WBA, WBO champion Oleksandr Usyk has taken another twist in the ongoing negotiations.
Last Friday, the World Boxing Association was informed that the two fighters had agreed to a tentative deal to face each other on April 29 at Wembley Stadium in London. However, doubts have emerged as to whether the fight will take place as planned.
Usyk’s promoter, Alexander Krassyuk, expressed his skepticism about the bout coming to fruition, stating that he believed Fury was looking for any reason to avoid the fight.
However, Frank Warren, Fury’s co-promoter, has dismissed these fears and believes that the fight will indeed happen.
“Both boxers have agreed to a split and it’ll be on,” Warren said in an interview on Talk Sport. “It’s just a matter of contracts but they’re not going to be a problem. I know we’ll get this on.”
Warren went on to address concerns that Fury may be looking for a way out of the fight, saying, “If he was going to avoid the fight he’d just say, ‘I’m the WBC champion, you get on with your lives, I’ll get on with mine.’ To say that Tyson would avoid any fight; this is the guy that went to Germany to fight Wladimir Klitschko, who at his time was the best heavyweight of his generation, had no problem going over there and actually won the fight. This is the guy that went off to the United States not once but three times to fight the hardest puncher in the heavyweight division.”
Warren also emphasized Fury’s fitness and readiness to fight, stating, “He trains religiously every day… he’s as fit as a butcher’s dog. You’ve only got to look at him, see recent photos of him and you can see how fit he is. He’s ready to go.”
As of now, it remains to be seen whether the Fury vs. Usyk fight will take place as planned. However, Warren’s comments suggest that both fighters are still committed to making it happen, and negotiations are ongoing to finalize the details.