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Oleksandr Usyk Team Fear Tyson Fury Will Pull Out Again – Replacement Already Found

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Oleksandr Usyk

Oleksandr Usyk and his team have already lined up a replacement fighter for Tyson Fury if the Briton were to pull out of their blockbuster clash once again in Saudi Arabia. The first undisputed heavyweight title fight in 25 years should be taking place next month in Riyadh when Fury, 35, and Usyk, 37, battle it out.

Fury, however, pulled out of the pair’s originally scheduled bout back in February due to a nasty cut he suffered just above the eye in sparring a few weeks out from fight night. He did, though, appear to be in career-best shape before he was forced to delay the fight.

Tyson Fury & Oleksandr Usyk’s professional stats (as of 24/04/24)
Tyson Fury Oleksandr Usyk
Age 35 36
Fights 35 21
Wins 34 21
Losses 0 0
Draws 1 0
Knockouts 24 14
Height 6ft 7″ 6ft 3″
Reach 85″ 78″

The undefeated British heavyweight hasn’t fought since his controversial split-decision victory over MMA star Francis Ngannou last year, and Usyk’s promoter doesn’t have much confidence that the two heavyweight champions will fulfill their two-fight deal if the Gypsy King was to be beaten next month.

Team Usyk on Tyson Fury Fight

They are starting to have serious doubts about the fight actually happening

Alex Krassyuk, Usyk’s promoter, told Boxing Scene: “Usyk has actually had a triple camp for this fight. He started in September for the fight to take place last December. We showed up to the Ngannou fight to step in the ring to announce the fight for the undisputed. We were then meant to fight on February 17, then we were rescheduled for May. Tyson Fury has withdrawn four times already from this fight.

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TYSON FURY V OLEKSANDR USYK: BOB ARUM DISMISSES SIX JUDGES ‘EXPERIMENT’ FOR UNDISPUTED TITLE SHOWDOWN

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Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury

Top Rank chief Bob Arum is against the proposal to have six judges watch over Tyson Fury v Oleksandr Usyk in Riyadh next month, insisting the idea should instead be trialled in smaller fights. WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman is currently petitioning for the number of judges to be doubled for the long-awaited undisputed heavyweight title fight.

Tyson Fury’s undisputed heavyweight title showdown with Oleksandr Usyk should stick to a three-man judging panel, according to promoter Bob Arum.
The fight of a generation – the first for all the marbles in boxing’s glamour division for 25 years – will take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on May 18.
Due to a spate of controversial points decisions in megafights, WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman has put forward the proposal of hiring six judges for the event, to potentially decrease the chance of one poor scorecard influencing the result.
Sulaiman told Boxing Scene recently: “Controversy like that in the Fury v Usyk fight will kill boxing. Fights, especially those at this highest level, deserve this and so I’m putting forward this proposal now to all sanctioning bodies, promoters and fighters.”
The parties he referred to are the WBA, WBO and IBF, who oversee the other three major belts, as well as Queensberry, Top Rank and Usyk-17 Promotions, plus the two men stepping into the ring.
Though the outcome of that petition is yet to be revealed, Top Rank supremo Arum has now clearly stated his opposition to making such a drastic change without any prior trials in smaller contests.
The American said, via Boxing Scene: “You don’t put in something like that for the first time dealing with a major fight from the standpoint of visibility and importance. Maybe six judges are better than three – I doubt that, but maybe.
“Nobody knows because it hasn’t been done. But at least you experiment with that with fights that are not as prominent. With all due respect to my friend Mauricio – who’s a really good guy, loves the sport of boxing and has done a great job with the WBC – I wouldn’t do it for this fight.
“I wouldn’t say that you don’t experiment with it for another fight, [but] I don’t believe the judging becomes better because you have six judges rather than three.”
Fury and Usyk will finally share the ring after a troubled build-up, with a proposed late December 2023 date being nixed by the British superstar’s awful display in a questionable points victory over novice Francis Ngannou.
The ‘Gypsy King’ then pulled out of a February 17 battle after sustaining a cut above his right eye in training, leading to an agreement for a $10 million penalty if either fighter doesn’t make the rearranged May 18 meeting.
The Ukrainian will defend the Ring Magazine strap in addition to his unified WBA, WBO and IBF world titles, while Fury enters with the WBC version.
In addition, a new Undisputed belt has been commissioned by the Saudi General Entertainment Authority, as well as a one-off commemorative WBC belt featuring the colours of both nations, which was recently taken to be blessed by Pope Francis.
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Promoter Isn’t Convinced Tyson Fury Won’t Jilt Oleksandr Usyk Again

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Oleksandr Tyson

With less than a month until the twice-rescheduled undisputed heavyweight world title fight between Oleksandr Usyk (21-0, 14 KOs) and Tyson Fury (34-0-1, 24 KOs) is set to finally take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Usyk’s promoter Alexander Krassyuk still has some doubts about whether the fight will go ahead.

“I saw Tyson Fury gather the media together at home for a final requiem to say goodbye to his WBC belt,” Krassyuk told BoxingScene. “They couldn’t admit it directly so they had to perform with some confidence.

“Usyk has no problem with his confidence, he feels no pressure. When he is in camp, he does nothing else but focus on his training. He doesn’t think about his opponent, he doesn’t go on Instagram, he doesn’t do anything. He reads books, he trains, he talks to his family and friends, he eats, he sleeps, a bit of rest, then back to training. That’s his routine 2-3 months before a fight. There is no pressure for Usyk. He has the concrete mentality of a champion.”

Fury was initially due to put his WBC title on the line against Usyk’s WBA, WBO and IBF belts in December last year, but a tough night against MMA star Francis Ngannou in October saw the fight rescheduled for February. A cut to Fury in sparring again disrupted the first undisputed heavyweight champion being crowned since Lennox Lewis defeated Evander Holyfield at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas on Nov. 11, 1999. Fury has maintained his hold on the WBC belt throughout.

“Usyk has actually had a triple camp for this fight,” Krassyuk said. “He started in September for the fight to take place last December. We showed up to the Ngannou fight to step in the ring to announce the fight for the undisputed, but his team jumped and said he didn’t look that good, so Usyk gave him some space to prepare at his camp in Saudi Arabia. We were then meant to fight on Feb. 17, then we were rescheduled for May. Tyson Fury has withdrawn four times already from this fight. Remember that we were looking to fight last April; he pulled out of it then, too. That’s why we fought Daniel Dubois. This will be the fourth camp we have had for Tyson Fury.

“I’ve not got too much confidence in the rematch happening, by the way. If Tyson Fury loses, will he have the confidence to step inside the ring again? Theoretically he can, but we all know what happened in the rematch with Wladimir Klitschko.”

A contingency plan is in place that will see Usyk still enter the ring on May 18, while also being further financially compensated if Fury doesn’t show in Riyadh. However, the chance at becoming a two-weight undisputed world champion would continue to elude the Ukrainian.

“That’s why we worked out this Lapin Rule,” Krassyuk said. “Sergey Lapin is Usyk’s coach, which means that Tyson Fury will have to pay a £10 million [pound] fine if he withdraws. This was made to avoid the fifth withdrawal. Let’s just pray he puts on his headgear when he spars – not like last time, when he was cut in sparring. The cut was real, but the video – I don’t trust it. I think Tyson Fury didn’t wear headgear and got cut, but this is my opinion. I have no proof. It’s my hunch.

“The IBF mandatory Filip Hrgovic will be the replacement if [Fury] does it again. He is getting ready for Daniel Dubois on June 1, but instead he will have to be ready on May 18 to replace Tyson for any reason. Otherwise we will lose the [IBF] title. It was one of our conditions. The game is about being undisputed. It’s not about money – it’s about heritage, about glory. Tyson Fury says he doesn’t care about that, but at the press conference he was saying, ‘Wow, the IBF, the WBO, the WBC, the WBA, the Ring Magazine, the undisputed, the lineal,’ which I’ve never heard of.”

The blossoming partnership between Fury and Turki Alalshikh, chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority, will have Usyk head to Saudi Arabia (which has essentially become Fury’s backyard) rather than neutral territory.

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Oleksandr Usyk team fear Tyson Fury will PULL OUT of undisputed bout again and have replacement lined up to step in

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OLEKSANDR USYK already has a replacement lined up in case Tyson Fury pulls out of their Saudi straightener.

Usyk and Fury, 37 and 35 respectively, will throw down for all the heavyweight marbles next month in the division’s first undisputed bout in nearly 25 years.

The pair’s dust-up has fallen through THREE TIMES already, collapses which have prompted Team Usyk to draw up a contingency plan in mandatory IBF title challenger Filip Hrgovic in case the Riyadh Rumble crumbles again.

The Ukrainian’s promoter Alex Krassyuk told Boxing Scene: “Usyk has actually had a triple camp for this fight.

“He started in September for the fight to take place last December.

‘We showed up to the Ngannou fight to step in the ring to announce the fight for the undisputed.

“But his team jumped and said he didn’t look that good, so Usyk gave him some space to prepare at his camp in Saudi Arabia.

“We were then meant to fight on February 17, then we were rescheduled for May. Tyson Fury has withdrawn four times already from this fight.

“I’ve not got too much confidence in the rematch happening, by the way.

“If Tyson Fury loses, will he have the confidence to step inside the ring again?

“Theoretically he can, but we all know what happened in the rematch with Wladimir Klitschko.

“The IBF mandatory Filip Hrgovic will be the replacement if [Fury] does it again.

“He is getting ready for Daniel Dubois on June 1, but instead he will have to be ready on May 18 to replace Tyson for any reason.

“Otherwise we will lose the [IBF] title. It was one of our conditions.”

Fury and Usyk were supposed to do their long-awaited dance in February but the bout ended up being postponed after the former suffered a horror cut in the final spar of his training camp.

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Bob Arum Opposed to Six Judges for Oleksdandr Usyk-Tyson Fury

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OLeksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury

WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman has a hot proposition for the “Ring of Fire” fight between Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury on May 18 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

With the undisputed heavyweight title on the line in the blockbuster fight, Sulaiman wants to avoid a potential judging catastrophe by instituting six judges instead of the customary three.

Sulaiman sent an emergency petition last month to the WBO, WBA and IBF, as well as Fury and Usyk and their promoters, requesting a green light for the six-judge panel.

Bob Arum, Top Rank’s CEO and Fury’s co-promoter, is opposed to the idea.

“You don’t put in something like that for the first time dealing with a major fight from the standpoint of visibility and importance,” Arum told BoxingScene.

“Maybe six judges are better than three. I doubt that, but maybe. Nobody knows because it hasn’t been done. But at least you experiment with that with fights that are not as prominent. With all due respect to my friend Mauricio – who’s a really good guy, loves the sport of boxing and has done a great job with the WBC – I wouldn’t do it for this fight. I wouldn’t say that you don’t experiment with it for another fight. I don’t believe the judging becomes better because you have six judges rather than three.”

Sulaiman believes that if more judges score the fight, there will be less probability of silly and controversial scorecards should a judge have a bad night.

Frank Warren, Queensberry Promotions’ boss and Fury’s co-promoter, has separately dismissed the idea of six judges.

As Sulaiman waits for the blessing of his idea, he recently had Pope Francis personally bless and sign a WBC commemorative belt that will be awarded to the winner.

Fury and Usyk will have a rematch regardless of the result, and Arum noted it could take place as early as October for the opening of Riyadh Season in Saudi Arabia.

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Anthony Joshua vs Tyson Fury and Canelo Alvarez super fight among top three fights Turki Alalshikh wants to make

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Anthony Joshua

Saudi boxing chief Turki Alalshikh is determined to work with all of the sport’s biggest stars.

The Chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority is the most influential man in boxing right now and has been putting on cards for the last 12 months that would otherwise be the stuff of fantasy.

Alalshikh is the driving force behind the upcoming undisputed heavyweight showdown between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk on May 18.

And he most recently funded Anthony Joshua and Francis Ngannou’s crossover clash in March.

Yet despite already playing host to some of the biggest boxing events of the decade so far, H.E continues to strive for more.

During a ‘Ask Me Anything Q&A’ on Reddit, Alalshikh revealed the top three fights he hopes to make in the future; Fury vs Joshua, Terence Crawford vs Canelo Alvarez and David Benavidez vs Artur Beterbiev.

British boxing fans will be relieved to see Fury vs Joshua on Alalshikh’s list.

The heavyweight titans have attempted to make the fight on several occasions to no avail.

It appears the biggest stumbling block facing the all-British showdown in the past was money.

However, that shouldn’t be a problem with Saudi Arabia involved.

Crawford vs Canelo is a rogue pick given that both men compete three weight classes apart.

Canelo is the undisputed super-middleweight champion while Crawford previously held all four belts at welterweight.

‘Bud’ is expected to move up to super-welterweight in his next fight but is still massively undersized.

A catchweight would likely have to be agreed between both boxers for the fight to happen.

Beterbiev vs Benavidez weighs heavily on whether the former wins his upcoming four-belt shootout with Dmitry Bivol on June 1.

Benavidez is boxing Oleksandr Gvozdyk in a WBC light-heavyweight final eliminator on June 15.

Should he win that fight he will be in a primed position to challenge whoever emerges victorious out of Bivol and Beterbiev.

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Turki Alalshikh hints that Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk rematch clause could be bypassed with huge fight waiting for winner

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Oleksandr Usyk

Boxing chief Turki Alalshikh has hinted that Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk could bypass their rematch clause, teasing a huge fight for the winner.

The undisputed showdown between Fury, who’s the WBC champion, and Usyk, who holds the WBA (super), IBF, WBO and The Ring Magazine titles, is set for May 18 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Speaking in a pre-fight press conference, Fury revealed the ‘secret weapon’ he’s got to beat Usyk.

However, the self-proclaimed ‘Gypsy King’ has been tipped to withdraw from next month’s huge meeting, having backed out of their original February clash.

If Fury and Usyk fight on May 18, then they will run it back as per the terms in their contracts.

But a rematch could be scrapped, according to Saudi advisor Alalshikh, who took to social media to tease a monstrous fight for the undisputed winner.

He posted a picture of himself alongside Anthony Joshua, accompanied with the caption: “We are waiting for the result of Usyk vs Fury.”

Joshua replied: “Patience is a virtue.”

‘AJ’ is fresh off a brutal knockout victory over Francis Ngannou.

He stopped the former UFC champion in devastating fashion to record his fourth win in a row since losing to Usyk.

The British star has seemingly punched his ticket for a shot at the world titles, with WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman claiming there would be nothing standing in the way of him taking on the winner of Fury vs. Usyk.

“The WBC was presented a sanction request which was to fight for the undisputed. The WBC accepted that sanctioning and we accepted the rematch they have requested,” he said.

“But, if it is not anything to do with contractual or promotion, we would absolutely accept the winner to fight Joshua.

“The WBC has been very much attentive to this matter. So, we have completely freed the ground for the undisputed, for a rematch, and for another fight of that level.

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Eddie Hearn makes U-turn on prediction for Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk as he reassures fans there is ‘no doubt’ will happen

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Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury

Eddie Hearn has told talkSPORT that he’s now changed his mind about who he believes will win Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk.

The undisputed heavyweight world title fight is under a month away, though some fans are still sceptical about whether it will happen.

Fury vs Usyk has already been postponed once due to a cut to Fury and boxing of course has an unpredictable nature.

However, when asked how sure he is that the fight will happen, Hearn told talkSPORT Drive: “More sure than I am about any normal fight because it’s already been postponed once.

“Honestly, I have no doubt this fight happens.

“People talk about, ‘Was the cut real?’ It’s the most ridiculous statement you could ever hear.

“The guy’s making tens and tens and tens of millions and he’s been training away from his family for nine weeks, you don’t just decide to cut your eye to get you out of the fight. It’s ridiculous.”

Discussing his prediction, Hearn said: “I think it [the postponement] is gonna help Fury in terms of his fitness, he looks in great shape.

“I saw a video of Usyk the other day, he looks in tremendous shape.

“My pick’s going backwards and forwards. I went with Fury, now I’m with Usyk.

“But I want Fury to win the fight. I really believe the fight with AJ can happen if he wins.

“It’s a pure 50/50 fight, it’s one of the best fights that can be made in boxing, it’s the undisputed heavyweight world championship.

“Four weeks – you will see that fight, without a doubt.”

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‘I don’t think he fancies it’ – Tyson Fury could still withdraw from Oleksandr Usyk fight according to ex-world champion

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Olek and Tyson

George Groves still doubts Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk will take place.

Fury is set to take on Oleksandr Usyk for all four world title belts on May 18, with the ‘Gypsy King’ having already pulled out of the showdown once after suffering a cut in sparring.

The WBC champion is set to soon resume sparring in his preparations, but doubts are still being raised as to whether Fury’s cut could still pose problems in the fight.

Former WBA super-middleweight champion Groves has insisted Fury could still pull out, and has claimed he would rather be matched up with Anthony Joshua.

He told Betway: “I’ve said since the start – I’ll believe it when I see it. I don’t think Fury has ever fancied the Usyk fight.

“He’s talking about having 10 more fights, but if he loses to Usyk how does that work? It’s a massive risk for him to fight Usyk. He’s probably really hoping that Usyk can’t take a body shot.

When the fight got postponed after the cut, I wasn’t surprised. It gave me the feeling that this fight will never happen.

“I thought to myself, I bet Fury would rather have a bit of Joshua than Usyk because he’ll see that as an easier fight

“The Saudis or the WBC aren’t going to pressure Fury to fight Usyk, so maybe he’s thinking he will go down the Ngannou route again, or fight Joshua.

“That’s the fight everyone really wants to see. I don’t believe if he pulls out he’s going to have to pay a $10million fine. Usyk is probably thinking ‘I don’t know if this guy is going to show up’ because there’s still a chance Fury pulls out.”

The cut occurred in sparring after he received a rogue elbow from training partner Agron Smakici, over the same eye he suffered a gash during his September 2019 win over Otto Wallin.

He has even received warnings that the cut could reopen again, given he will had had just three months to heal the injury by fight night.

Fury held a press conference in Morecambe, and has reassured the boxing world that he is more than ready to take the showdown with Usyk.

He has also been working hard in training camp, and has shown off a remarkable transformation since his narrow win over Francis Ngannou in October 2023.

The 35-year-old even looked impressive on the pads with his father John Fury, who has been working alongside Fury’s coach Sugar Hill Steward in the gym.

The Briton’s cutman Jorge Capetillo has firmly suggested that he will be okay to fight, and suggested a plan is in place to ensure the cut doesn’t reopen.

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Anthony Joshua Opportunity To Win A Title Before Meeting The Winner Of Fury Vs Usyk

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Anthony Joshua has the opportunity to win the IBF title before facing the winner between Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk.

The trick, he has to win against winner Daniel Dubois vs Filip Hrgovic.

As is known, Fury vs Usyk will remove their belt after fighting for the undisputed heavyweight world title on May 18, 2024 in Saudi Arabia.

Meanwhile, Hrgovic has been a mandatory challenger for the IBF title at Oleksandr Usyk’s waist. As a result, Hrgovic vs Dubois’ fight will be his second chance to win the IBF title.

Duel Dubois vs Hrgovic has also been scheduled for June 1, 2024 in Saudi Arabia.

Well, Anthony Joshua was able to get back the IBF belt he had held twice between 2016-2021. However, in order to reclaim the IBF title, he had to beat the winner between Dubois vs Hrgovic.

This means that Joshua has the opportunity to return to have a title before facing the undisputed world heavyweight champion between Fury vs Usyk.

Apart from that, Dubois vs Hrgovic’s fight became the main duel on June 1, 2024.

Dubois is very confident that he can beat Hrgovic. In fact, he was boasted that he could win easily because he had been on the winger against Hrgovic.

“I am very confident, I am ready to prove myself. We argued some time ago and he kept talking about it, but people changed. I am a different animal now,” Dubois told The Sun.

However, boasting that Dubois will soon receive a reaction from Hrgovic. The Croatian boxer wants to prove Dubois’ great talk will not be proven in the ring.

“I hope he changes. Otherwise, it will only last a few rounds. Sparring is not good for him. So I hope he has changed,” Hrgovic said.

In addition to the main match, there were five other duels on Dubois vs Hrgovic’s card. The fight also became a 5 vs 5 duel between promoter Frank Warren and Eddie Hearn in Saudi Arabia.

Another interesting fight will be presented, namely the undisputed light heavyweight champion between Artur Beterbiev vs Dimitry Bivol.

Then, there is Nick Ball vs Raymond Ford in the race for the featherweight world champion. The other three fights are Hamzah Sheeraz vs Ammo duel, Craig Richards vs Willy Hutchinson, and Deontay Wilder vs Zhilei Zhang.

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