The planned showdown for the undisputed heavyweight world championship between Tyson Fury (34-0-1, 24 KO) and Oleksandr Usyk (21-0, 14 KO) in Riyadh on February 17th was postponed. The reason behind this delay is a deep cut to the eyebrow suffered by the “Gypsy King” during one of his sparring sessions. To confirm the news, his promoters released a photo of the injured boxer.
Boxing enthusiasts have been eagerly anticipating the clash that would crown an undisputed heavyweight champion. The last time it happened was 25 years ago when Lennox Lewis defeated Evander Holyfield bout. However, they will have to wait a bit longer. The highly anticipated duel between WBC world champion Fury and IBF, WBA, and WBO champion Usyk has been rescheduled. The “Gypsy King” sustained an injury during sparring, specifically a deep cut above his right eye that required several stitches. Consequently, the bout against Usyk in February is ruled out.
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Among Fury’s sparring partners were Moses Itauma, Kevin Lerena, and Jai Opetaia, the latter leaving the camp after just five rounds with Fury. Rumors circulated that the Australian had knocked down the heavyweight world champion, although Opetaia officially denied this.
The news of the fight’s postponement was confirmed by Queensberry Promotions, who stated on social media. As evidence, the promoters shared a photo of Fury’s injured condition. This development adds another twist to the saga surrounding a bout that has been discussed for over a year.
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Tyson Fury vs. Francis Ngannou recap
In his last fight, Fury boxed the entire 10-round distance with Francis Ngannou. However, Brit’s heavyweight belt wasn’t on the line. The fact, that an inexperienced boxer like Ngannou withstood 10 outings with the undefeated world heavyweight champion was an upset in itself. What’s more shocking, Ngannou was leading on one judge’s scorecard leading to Fury’s win by the split decision.
Update
Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk was rescheduled on May 18. During the special edition of the MMA Hour Turki Alalshikh announced that if either fighter withdraws this time, they will pay a 10 million USD fine.
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