Just as the heavyweight division appeared to finally be going to plan, boxing fans around the globe have now been dealt a crushing blow, with news that Tyson Fury has had to pull out of his undisputed title clash against Oleksandr Usyk, following an injury in sparring.
Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk OFF
Fury and Usyk were set to go toe-to-toe in Riyadh in around two weeks’ time in a historic bout that would crown a first undisputed champion since 2000 and a first ever four-belt title-holder. However, reports have now emerged that a cut to ‘The Gypsy King’ has forced the Brit to withdraw from the contest, Chris Mannix reports.
“Tyson Fury has suffered a cut in training and is out of the undisputed heavyweight title fight with Oleksandr Usyk, Usyk’s manager, Egis Klimas, told @SInow.”
Despite the devastating news, the Ukrainian seems appears determined to remain on the card, with his manager Egis Klimas indicating that it could be some time before Fury can return to the ring.
Usyk, says Klimas, is hoping to save the February 17th date. Impression Team Usyk has been left with is it could be several months before Fury is be ready to fight https://t.co/IgqKIQYfAM
— Chris Mannix (@SIChrisMannix) February 2, 2024
“Usyk is hoping to save the February 17th date, says Kilmas. Impression that Team Usyk has been left with is [that] it could be several months before Fury is ready to fight.”
Further updates are sure to come as the fight night hangs in the balance, but the event is likely to continue with or without Usyk due to the strength of the undercard, which features the likes of Sergey Kovalev, Jai Opetaia and Joe Cordina.
However, should Usyk manage to find a replacement, the frontrunners for such an opportunity would be Martin Bakole, Zhilei Zhang or Filip Hrgovic, who are each well ranked with the WBA, WBO & IBF respectively.