Usyk Promoter Would be Surprised if Fury Pulls Out

Tyson Fury's upcoming undisputed heavyweight championship bout against Oleksandr Usyk on May 18 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, is shrouded in uncertainty and speculation. The original February 17 date was postponed due to Fury's alleged injury sustained during a sparring session, leading to skepticism from Usyk's promoter, Alexander Krassyuk, and others in Usyk's camp.

Despite doubts about the nature of Fury's injury and his history of withdrawing from fights, Krassyuk finds it hard to imagine Fury pulling out of the May 18 showdown.

The promoter cited the significant financial penalty Fury would incur—reportedly $10 million to Usyk—if he were to withdraw again. This penalty was reportedly arranged by influential Saudi advisor Turki Alalshikh, who has staunchly defended Fury against critics questioning the legitimacy of his injury.

Krassyuk emphasized the pressure on Fury, both financially and in terms of his reputation with Alalshikh, as reasons why he believes Fury is unlikely to withdraw from the fight again. He rated his level of surprise if Fury were to withdraw once more as "something between 3 and 4" on a scale of 1-10, indicating that the circumstances surrounding Fury's situation make a second withdrawal highly unexpected.