Stephen Dunmoye
Oleksandr Usyk manager and adviser, Egis Klimas has claimed that the undisputed heavyweight clash between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk set for April 29 at Wembley in London has fallen through despite agreeing 70-30 split.
Ukrainian Manager made a declaration today that ‘No matter how much Usyk compromised, the Gypsy King was pushing for more’.
There has been a long-standing war of words between the two camps, and while a date of April 29 has been discussed for a mammoth meeting, nothing had been confirmed.
Frank Warren, Fury’s promoter, is hopeful that a deal can be resurrected in the next 24 hours but the likelihood is that this late disagreement could be fatal.
Last week, the Gypsy King insisted that the bout was definitely on, and that he had entered a social media blackout during training for the fight.
But the Ukrainian’s manager and long-time advisor Klimas issued a firm take-it-or-leave-it declaration to Fury’s team, and that if the fight does not happen, Usyk will pivot to a mandatory defense of his WBA title against Daniel Dubois.
Klimas told SNAC: ‘If this fight is going to happen, only April 29th. Or it’s just going to be cancelled, and we’ll go with the mandatory.’
NEWSTODAYNG gathered from ESPN that Fury and Usyk did reach an agreement on the 70/30 purse split in favour of the Gypsy King but other material terms could not be decided on.
The report claims the 35-year-old Ukrainian has stopped his training camp. WBA president Gilberto Mendoza previously set a deadline of April 1 for the fight to be made so the teams are running out of time for an agreement, if one can be struck.
Fans have been desperate to see the two heavyweights meet in what would be an enormous unification bout.
Usyk holds the WBA, WBO and IBF heavyweight titles having defended them most recently against Anthony Joshua and Fury is the WBC champion.
The WBA is likely to order Usyk to fight Dubois if no resolution can be found between both camps in the near future.
It had looked as though a bout between the pair was edging ever closer to an announcement.
Fans on social media were excited by Warren teasing: ‘Arsenal are eight points clear, and even bigger news to come!’
Many interpreted his message as a clear sign that the deal for Fury vs Usyk was as good as done.
But it seems that was a false dawn and fight fans will have to wait longer or put up with Usyk facing a mandatory challenger in Dubois.
Usyk and Fury traded barbs online and exchanged video messages earlier in the process. The Ukrainian said: ‘They want 50%, Usyk and all this. Tyson is being greedy.’
Fury replied: ‘From where I’m standing, Usyk, you and your team are worth 30. You either take it or you leave it. And if you don’t want it, go 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.’ … I will say, for every day from today that you linger, mess around, I’m going to deduct 1% from the 30%. … Sign the contract, get your money and get f—ed up. … Tick, tock.’
Usyk hit back: ‘Hey greedy belly, I accept your offer, 70/30 split to fight on April 29 at Wembley.
‘But you will promise to donate 1 million pounds to Ukraine immediately after the fight. And for every day of your delay, you will pay 1 % from your purse to Ukrainian people. Deal?’
Neither Usyk or Fury have ever been defeated in their professional boxing careers and even though the size difference would be stark, there would be a fascination surrounding their bout.
The British fighter was last in action last December, beating Derek Chisora by stoppage.
Usyk overcame Joshua for the second time last August to tee up what would be the first unification bout at heavyweight in the four-belt era.