British boxer Tyson Fury suffered an eye injury and was unable to fight Oleksandr Usyk in his planned unification match for all four of the world's most prestigious heavyweight belts on February 17.
On February 2, Queensberry Promotions - the company of Fury's promoter Frank Warren - announced that the British boxer had a "horrific cut" above his right eye and needed "emergency medical attention and multiple stitches". Therefore, Fury cannot fight Usyk in Saudi Arabia on February 17.
Queensberry Promotions added that Fury will be assessed by doctors before a recovery timeline is known. Queensberry Promotions, along with the relevant parties and the Saudi Arabian hosts, will then sit down to discuss a new date as soon as possible.
Tyson Fury during a weigh-in at Boxpark Wembley, near Wembley Stadium, in London on April 22, 2022. Photo: AP
Usyk's manager Egis Klimas told Sky Sports that Fury "would do anything to avoid fighting Usyk" and taunted the Briton may have "been hit by a frying pan as he wished". Klimas added that it was too early to confirm whether Usyk would wait for a new date with Fury or fight another fight.
Usyk's promoter Alex Krassyuk commented on Fury's Instagram post confirming the postponement, saying: "Get well soon. God sent you a sign. Think about retirement, brother."
On TalkSport , Frank Warren said Fury suffered an eye injury during a sparring session in Riyadh on the morning of February 2, when a Croatian heavyweight boxer elbowed him in the eye. Sky Sports said the boxer was Agron Smakici.
Fury currently holds the WBC heavyweight title, while Usyk holds the WBA, IBF and WBO belts. The winner of the Fury vs Usyk fight (if they fight) would become the first undisputed heavyweight champion since Lennox Lewis in 1999 and the first in the four-belt era.
Fury was left "absolutely devastated" at missing out on the opportunity, saying he had been preparing for the fight for a long time and was in great shape. The 35-year-old also felt sorry for everyone involved in the big event and promised to work hard to finalise a new date once he recovers from an eye injury.
"I can only apologise to everyone affected, including my team, Usyk's team, the fighters, the sparring partners, the fans, the hosts and friends in Saudi Arabia," Fury added of the postponement. "You can't avoid injuries in sparring, but what I can say is that Usyk is in trouble. I'm in great shape. I'll reschedule as soon as I can."
Fury won the WBC title from Deontay Wilder by knockout in February 2020, then knocked him out in a rematch in 2021 to defend the title. He then had back-to-back TKO wins over Dillian Whyte and Derek Chisora to retain the title.
Meanwhile, Usyk surprised everyone with two consecutive victories over Anthony Joshua to win the WBA (Super), IBF, WBO and IBO belts. In August 2023, the Ukrainian boxer knocked out Daniel Dubois in the ninth round to defend these belts.
Fury and Usyk had originally agreed to a first heavyweight unification bout in December 2023 with a rematch in 2024. However, Fury's side wanted to postpone the date because the British fighter was injured after defeating former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou by referee's points in late October.
After much negotiation, Fury's side was able to convince Usyk to agree to a postponement. Thanks to that, the 35-year-old boxer escaped a lawsuit of more than 200 million USD from Saudi Arabia, but the fight continued to be postponed.
Hong Duy
Source link
Comment (0)