Oleksandr Usyk vs. Tyson Fury heavyweight undisputed clash is now in the works for April 29th in Saudi Arabia or London, England, at the 95,000-seat Wembley Stadium.
Usyk has agreed to his side of the deal with the Saudis, and now we’re waiting on Fury. Usyk having reached a deal with the Saudis doesn’t necessarily mean that Fury will. Whatever money Usyk gets, Fury will likely want to receive a lot more.
The dates keep moving for the Fury vs. Usyk fight, and you have to assume that it will continue to get pushed back while the management for the two sides attempts to bang out a deal. If the fight happens at all, it won’t be surprised if it takes place in June or July.
Fury has become his own worst enemy with the way he negotiates from a position of strength and ends up wrecking things and being stuck taking fights against journeymen, as we saw in his recent title defense against 39-year-old Derek Chisora after he fouled up the deal for a fight against Anthony Joshua.
It remains to be seen whether the fight will happen at all, unfortunately, because Fury (33-0-1, 24 KOs) is the one that still needs to agree to a deal.
IBF/WBA/WBO heavyweight champion Usyk (20-0, 13 KOs) has agreed to his side of the deal with the Saudis, so now it remains to be seen if Fury will.
Although Fury’s promoter Bob Arum says that the fight will automatically go to Wembley if the Saudi money doesn’t come through, that’s not a certainty.
What’s suitable for Usyk in Saudi might not be the case if he suddenly must fight in Fury’s backyard in London at Wembley, getting a deal that’s not as good.
If the fight doesn’t happen, the two will go their separate ways, and both will need to deal with their mandatory challengers before revisiting negotiations next year if they’re still holding their respective titles.
Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk remain in talks for an undisputed heavyweight title fight being targeted for April 29, sources told ESPN.
Usyk closed his side of the deal with the Saudis and now Fury must. If not, the fight could head to Wembley. Ramadan ends on April 21.
— Mike Coppinger (@MikeCoppinger) February 1, 2023
In Fury’s case, he’s been nonchalant from the get-go about the idea of fighting for the undisputed heavyweight, saying he’s already held all four titles, and it’s not a big deal for him to recapture them. Fury didn’t hold them all at one time, though.
Fury beat 39-year-old Wladimir Klitschko at the end of his career to capture his IBF, WBA & WBO titles, but he vacated them. In 2020, Fury stopped Deontay Wilder in the seventh round to win his WBC crown, and he still holds that belt after three years and three successful title defenses.