Just as we were starting to think Tyson Fury had vanished, what with the reigning WBC heavyweight champ being uncharacteristically quiet as a fight between he and rival heavyweight champ Oleksandr Usyk rumbled on in negotiations, Fury at last makes an appearance. After reportedly turning his nose up at a 60/40 split, the 60 precent to go to the winner, this being offered to Fury by Alexander Krassyuk this week, Fury having previously said no to any chance of a 50-50 split, Tyson has now set terms of his own.
Speaking in a short video he has uploaded to social media, Fury has offered WBA/IBF/WBO heavyweight champ Usyk a 30 percent split of the prize money. However, Tyson being Tyson, there is a catch – with Fury saying that for each day Usyk “lingers and messes around,” he will “deduct one percent from the 30 percent.”
“I see all this talk of boxing fights, they want 50 percent, Usyk, Tyson is being greedy,” Fury began. “But from where I’m standing – Usyk, you and your team are worth 30 percent. You either take it or you leave it. And if you don’t want it, go and fight Daniel Dubois at the Copper Box [arena in London] and get a few million dollars. If you want to make some real money, come and fight the Gypsy King. But I will say, for every day you linger and mess around I’m going to deduct one percent from the 30 percent. And if you don’t take it, fight Dubois for two million. Not a problem. But how in the world could you ever offer me a deal? Not possible. Tick tock, tick tock, pussies.”
Fury sure likes to play hard ball when “negotiating” a fight, doesn’t here? Negotiating? Laying down ridiculous terms more like. Somewhat similar to when he issued Anthony Joshua with a wholly unrealistic deadline, Fury surely knows he is making ludicrous demands here. Okay, Fury is the bigger name and draw, but 30 percent to a three-belt holder in a fight that would contest four belts?
And how long exactly does Usyk have to accept this 30 percent offer, before Fury, with his threat of deducting one percent per day – this presumably starting today – runs the sum down to zero? Maybe Usyk WILL call Fury’s bluff, if Tyson is actually bluffing here, and accept the 30 percent. But then what? Would Fury add some other stipulation before the fight actually got signed? With Fury we just don’t know. However, this latest episode from Fury does force plenty of fans to believe Fury makes silly demands he knows will never be met, this in order to get out of a fight he doesn’t really want anyway.
Is this the way YOU feel about Fury, or am I being too harsh on the WBC heavyweight champ?
Bottom line: all we fans want is the best against the best in the biggest fights that can be made.
