It could be that there is absolutely no need to start getting pessimistic, and the fight we all want – between rival heavyweight champions Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk – WILL happen, the latest date being spoken of being April 29. However, it’s safe to say we all thought, indeed hoped, the fight would have been pretty much nailed down and confirmed by now.
But here, as we approach mid-February, there is still no official venue for the fight. What’s more, some worrying stuff has come from Team Fury; with Fury himself telling Beyond Radio how he currently sums up the fight and its progress as “all talk and no deliverance,” and with Fury’s cousin and co-trainer Andy Lee telling The Mirror that he doesn’t think we will see a Fury-Usyk fight “any time soon.”
Fury spoke with the radio show yesterday.
“The talks for the Usyk fight are still ongoing. All talk and no deliverance,” Fury said. “I actually have not been on social media since October last year. I deleted the apps and won’t be returning. I like my battery life too much. I think [for] all the information that you need to know about the Usyk or any other boxing fights, you’ve got to speak to the promoters. I made a vow not to get involved anymore because, one, it causes me stress, and two, it causes me anxiety and depression. It should be a rewarding thing to get a big fight; you should feel good about it. But with all the talks back and forward…..it just goes on and on and on, and for someone with severe mental health issues, I don’t think it’s wise for me to get involved with this back and forth.”
It doesn’t sound too great, does it? Added to these comments, Fury also stated how “as of today, I’ve not even had an offer from anybody to do a fight.”
We fans were led to believe that the fight was close, that the only thing to be sorted out was the venue. But Fury, and Lee, suggest otherwise. Lee, worryingly, stated how he feels this fight might be “too good to be true.”
So what’s going on? Are both sides working separately with the Saudi moneymen, trying to get the most cash they can for the fight? Is April 29 still a working date? Will this fight actually happen this year? All we know for sure is this: the clock is ticking, and in this day and age until two men are actually in the ring together, plenty of us will not believe the fight will happen.
So, are you pessimistic or optimistic at this point?