Top Rank promoter Bob Arum says he believes the negotiations between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk will be conducted quickly. Arum says he’s friends with IBF/WBA/WBO heavyweight champion Usyk (20-0, 13 KOs) and his management team.
As long as Fury successfully defends his WBC title against Derek Chisora (33-12, 23 KOs) this Saturday night in London, fans will see the undisputed championship between Tyson and Usyk.
With that said, Fury will need to be on board with fighting Usyk because he’s the one that picks & chooses his opponents at this stage in his career.
Fury even fouls things up on his own by setting wacky deadlines, as we saw in his negotiations with Anthony Joshua.
Some would say that Fury intentionally messed things up with Joshua because he didn’t fancy the fight and was worried about getting beaten. The journeyman Chisora wasn’t given a similar deadline as Joshua, which is kind of telling.
If Fury doesn’t want the Usyk fight, we could see him give a similar short deadline that is impossible for him to meet.
“We’re all friends. I’m friends with Usyk, his promoter, with his manager. So, we’ve had talks,” said Bob Arum to Boxing UK when asked if Tyson Fury will fight Oleksandr Usyk next.
“I don’t think the negotiations will be really arduous. I think it’ll come together really quickly. The only one standing in the way is Chisora,” said Arum about the Fury vs. Usyk fight.
“I agree. Everybody wants to see that fight [Fury – Usyk], and we’re going to deliver that fight unless Chisora interferes.
“He’s the king. He’s on top of the heavyweight division. But like everything else in boxing, it lasts for a while, and hopefully, there are a lot of good years ahead,” Arum said about Fury.
“Again, an Athlete doesn’t have a long career and doesn’t have a long life. For the next few years, I think we’ll be enjoying Tyson Fury and his shenanigans and how he carries on, and how he fights.
“They’re both extroverts,” said Arum about Fury and Muhammad Ali. “Ali was a tremendous extrovert, but they’re different. Fury is all about the show. Ali was on the show and always on message.
“Ali had an influence on the world that an athlete really doesn’t. So it’s unfair to compare Tyson Fury with Ali in that regard. Otherwise, they’re two of the greatest promoters I’ve ever met,” said Arum.