Tyson Fury won't want to fight Oleksandr Usyk after a year out of the ring. Photo: Getty Images/Francois Nel
The heavyweight division is in danger of being shut down over time and money with Tyson Fury, Oleksandr Usyk, Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder embroiled in Game of Thrones in pursuit of the greatest wealth as ambitious Saudi promoters Skills Challenge slowed down the fight negotiations stalled.
Perhaps Lennox Lewis, the last undisputed heavyweight champion of the world, put it best this weekend. “I hope these fighters start thinking about making history and not just money. In addition, creating a story brings even more money.
Fury, the WBC champion, appears to be heading for an uncontested world title fight with Usyk — the WBA, IBF and WBO champion who has signed a multi-fight deal with Saudi promoters — and if the Ukrainian defends his three titles against WBA mandatory challenger Daniel Dubois August 26 in Poland, big fight there. The potential purse could be around $150 million, Telegraph Sport understands.
The money game and matches involving these four major players in the heavyweight division are reaching a breaking point. No one argues that Fury is #1 in the division, but Usyk needs a fight to cement that legacy. And vice versa for a person from Ukraine.
Fury's biggest problem, however, is that he needs a summer fight. He wouldn't want to fight Usyk after a year away. There are plans for an early September contest in the UK. There were plans for July, for two dates. There were, of course, plans to fight Usyk at Wembley Stadium on April 29, but negotiations fell through. The noise from Saudi Arabia and the 70/30 split in favor of Fury vs. Usyk would have an impact.
But seeing Fury's next opponent on the horizon is no easy task. Also on the menu, in the Middle East, for weeks on end or even potentially in the same card, is the highly anticipated blockbuster Joshua vs. Wilder.
Anthony Joshua is expected to fight Deontay Wilder. Credit: PA/Nick Potts
Most importantly, Telegraph Sport can confirm that no formal bids for Fury or Joshua have yet been received or signed from Middle Eastern promoters. Their respective contests are still being discussed.
“Blessings and curses” is how George Warren, who negotiated Fury, described the current situation, saying that negotiations were underway with Saudi Arabia, but no official contract or offer had yet been received. A blessing, because fighters can earn life-changing money in a single competition, but a curse, because it cancels out the biggest fights that take place in a few months. This is boxing, and really heavyweight boxing.
What options does Fury have?
The game is money and time. The fact that Usyk signed a multi-fight deal with Saudi Arabia over the weekend, at least from the outside, seems to make the prospect of an undisputed Fury-Usyk fight more likely, but Warren told Telegraph Sport it doesn't affect plans. Their focus is on Fury's next fight as negotiations with the Saudis continue.
Fury's team is clearly showing interest in his fight in December, but the burning question is who the interim fight will be against. There are already viable contenders for the WBC world title, including Andy Ruiz, who was told by the Telegraph Sport by promoters that he wants $20 million, which is too much to make the fight possible, as well as Wilder, Joshua and Cuban Frank Sanchez. They are in the top four WBC contenders.
Frank Warren will face WBC President Mauricio Suleiman this week, with Warren and Suleiman expected to call a mandatory defense. It could mean Sanchez or Ruiz. Suleiman landed in the UK on Sunday from his headquarters in Mexico.
«Don't make a greedy man out of Tyson.»
George Warren insists that the current notion that Fury gets in the way is wrong. while Frank Warren was blunt over the weekend, insisting that Fury was not to blame for the bad fights with both Joshua and Usyk. “All Usyk is interested in is getting big money and fighting for big money in Saudi Arabia,” Warren told this correspondent Saturday night.
“I don't blame him for that. I understand this, but don't make Tyson a greedy person. You go to Saudi Arabia because they will pay a lot of money there, that's what it is. If you get paid three to four times the money, whether you want to call it greed, good business or anything else, it's not Tyson Fury's fault. That's why he didn't want to fight Tyson Fury in the UK.»
Until now, no one knows when Fury and Oleksandr Usyk will finally meet each other in the ring. Photo: Reuters/Andrew Cooldridge
Warren had in mind a potential fight between Fury and Usyk on April 29 at Wembley Stadium did not materialize. They looked again at the dates in July. «We offered him this fight in the summer and we kept it a secret, we didn't talk about it, and in the interim, Usyk never came back with nothing.»
Fury then called out Joshua — again — two weeks ago, challenging his British rival to a fight in early September, also in the UK. It remains the richest fight in boxing. But Joshua has his own path to riches.
They don't touch Fury at the moment, upsetting British boxing fans as the match was teased three times. Eddie Hearn, Joshua's promoter, says his protagonist will fight an unnamed opponent on August 12 at the O2 Arena before taking on Wilder in an extravaganza in Saudi Arabia in December. It's also a headline grabber, a potential battle for a seat in the pants. Hearn, however, revealed on Sunday that they don't have a formal offer from Saudi Arabia yet.
As time goes on, expect Fury and Joshua to confirm their summer fights in the next two weeks and everything should be fine. mega event or events, one after the other, in December with fury and Usyk for all belts and Joshua vs. Wilder without belts, but with the right to show off. This is heavyweight boxing. Anything could happen. Best plans.
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