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Tyson Fury v Oleksandr Usyk: British boxer ‘devastated’ after ‘freak’ sparring injury forces fight postponement | UK News

Tyson Fury has said he is “absolutely devastated” after a “freak” sparring injury forced him to postpone his fight against Oleksandr Usyk, the winner of which will be crowned undisputed heavyweight champion.

The British boxer, the WBC champion, was scheduled to meet his Ukrainian opponent, who holds the WBO, WBA and IBF belts, in Riyadh, later this month.

Fight promoters, Queensberry Promotions, published a picture of Fury showing a cut over his right eye.

File photo dated 16-11-2023 of Tyson Fury. Tyson Fury's world heavyweight title fight against Oleksandr Usyk, due to take place on February 17, has been postponed after the Briton suffered a "freak cut" during a sparring session, promoter Queensberry has announced. Issue date: Friday February 2, 2024.
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Tyson Fury suffered a ‘freak cut’ during a sparring session. File pic: PA

On X, TalkSPORT boxing editor, Michael Benson, posted what was said to be “leaked” footage of the incident, in which Fury is hit by his sparring partner and promptly walks away, touching the right side of his head.

Queensberry said in a statement that a “freak cut” requiring “urgent medical attention and significant stitching” opened up above Fury’s right eye during a sparring session at his training camp in Saudi Arabia on Friday.

Fury said in the same statement: “I am absolutely devastated after preparing for this fight for so long and being in such a superb condition.

“I feel bad for everyone involved in this huge event and I will work diligently towards the rescheduled date once the eye has healed.

“I can only apologise to everyone affected.”

He said on Instagram, alongside a selfie: “Can’t help getting injured in sparring but what I can say was Usyk was in trouble. I am in fantastic shape.”

Fury sustained the cut during a sparring session with Croatian southpaw Agron Smakici, Sky Sports understands.

He had previously suffered a gaping cut around his right eye following a bloody points win over Otto Wallin in September 2019.

A Queensberry Promotions spokesperson said on X: “Whilst this is still breaking news it is clearly a massive disappointment, after the work that has been done by so many people to finally deliver the historic event to the world.

Boxing - Tyson Fury v Oleksandr Usyk - Press Conference - HERE at Outernet, London, Britain - November 16, 2023 Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury face off during the press conference Action Images via Reuters/Andrew Couldridge TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
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Fury and Usyk at a pre-fight news conference in London in November. Pic: Reuters


“Once the doctors have appraised Tyson’s eye, we will have a better idea of the period of recovery needed.

The aim, Queensberry said, is to “reschedule the fight as soon as possible”.

The winner of the bout stood to become the first undisputed heavyweight champion since Lennox Lewis beat Evander Holyfield in 1999 and the first in the four-belt era.

Tyson Fury v Oleksandr Usyk undisputed title fight is now off | UK News

The Tyson Fury versus Oleksandr Usyk fight is now off.

Talks to make the undisputed heavyweight title fight happen have failed to reach a conclusion, Usyk’s promoter Alexander Krassyuk confirmed to Sky Sports News.

Usyk will now look to make a defence of his heavyweight titles against WBA mandatory challenger Daniel Dubois.

“I will try to express how disappointed I am, not just for Usyk, not just for this fight not happening but for all boxing fans around the world. Because this is probably the most anticipated fight, the most awaited fight, the most wanted one, not just from the fans but from our side as well,” Krassyuk told Sky Sports.

“I would love to see this fight. I would love to make it happen as the promoter. Usyk would love to be part of such a huge fight, we all are willing, we are thirsty to make it happen. Of course we are going to use each and every effort, if there is any. But from my perspective I don’t believe it’s possible.”

Egis Klimas, Usyk’s manager, has questioned whether Fury and his team genuinely wanted the fight in April.

“The Usyk side pulled out of further negotiations as the Fury side never had enough [and wanted] to pull everything and all rights to their side,” Klimas told Sky Sports.

“I don’t want to go into details as all negotiations were confidential but I will tell you one thing, when a fighter doesn’t want to fight he overprices himself knowing that the fight won’t happen.

“They most likely forgot that Usyk is holding the majority of belts in the heavyweight division and Tyson just has one.

“They claimed Tyson is a face and must have all the rights, but look at statistics on pay-per-view with Tyson v Chisora and Usyk v Chisora and then tell me who is who?”

Sky Sports has approached Fury’s UK and US promoters for comment.

British boxer Tyson Furycelebrates in the ring after his victory over Ukraine's Vladimir Klitschko (not pictured) after their world heavyweight title bout at the Esprit Arena in Duesseldorf, Germany, 28 November 2015.
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British boxer Tyson Fury celebrates in the ring after his victory over Vladimir Klitschko in 2015

Frank Warren, Fury’s UK promoter, has told TalkSports radio that he believes the negotiations can be salvaged.

But Krassyuk responded that the issue around a rematch clause was just the final straw for those talks to collapse.

“They did as much as we did. They tried hard. We all tried to make it happen,” Krassyuk told Sky Sports “[The] rematch clause was just the point where it all exploded.

“The discussion about the rematch split was just the point where Usyk was fed up with everything. He said, ‘How many more times do I have to bow my head in front of Tyson. Why should I do this? It’s enough. Either he accepts what I say or I leave’. Tyson did not accept it and he left.”

Krassyuk did say a one-fight deal could still be “acceptable, but the split should not be 70/30.”

Ukraine's Oleksandr Usyk takes part in a public workout in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Tuesday, Aug. 16, 2022
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Ukraine’s Oleksandr Usyk

The undisputed championship, he insisted, was their “highest priority”.

“The money that was anticipated for Usyk in this fight was not even close to what Usyk earned in his last fight. It’s definitely not Usyk’s payday and it’s definitely not his attempt to get more money. It’s his attempt to get the WBC belt,” Krassyuk said.

“We will do our best to deliver this fight to the fans,” he added. “With Usyk, we’ve been together since 2013. We went through hell, through fire, through water, through everything. We never had any troubles with our opponents, we were always flexible.”

The Fury v Usyk fight would have been one of the most significant contests in world boxing.

Between them, they hold all four of the major heavyweight world titles.

Fury, who first became a unified world champion when he sensationally defeated Wladimir Klitschko in 2015, never lost those titles in the ring but they became vacant when he did not box for more than two years.

Ukraine's Wladimir Klitschko, left, and Britain's Tyson Fury exchange blows in a world heavyweight title fight for Klitschko's WBA, IBF, WBO and IBO belts in the Esprit Arena in Duesseldorf, western Germany, Saturday, Nov. 28, 2015. (AP Photo/Sebastian Konopka)
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Ukraine’s Wladimir Klitschko (L) , and Tyson Fury exchange blows in 2015

He made a remarkable return in 2018 and controversially drew with Deontay Wilder that year. Fury then beat Wilder in the rematch to win the WBC title and triumphed again in a sensational 2021 trilogy fight.

Undefeated he has held the WBC belt ever since and last year Fury headlined two stadium fights in London, stopping both Dillian Whyte and Derek Chisora to defend his title.

Usyk, a former undisputed cruiserweight champion, has established himself as Fury’s closest rival at the top of the heavyweight division.

He stepped up to heavyweight and in 2021 dethroned Anthony Joshua to win the IBF, WBO and WBA titles.

The Ukrainian defended those belts with another emphatic win over Joshua last August.

Britain's Anthony Joshua (L) lands with a body shot against Ukraine's Oleksandr Usyk during their world heavyweight title fight in 2022.
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Britain’s Anthony Joshua (L) lands with a body shot against Ukraine’s Oleksandr Usyk during their world heavyweight title fight in 2022

Read more on Sky News:
Who is Oleksandr Usyk?

Anthony Joshua: ‘I let myself down’ after Usyk defeat

Usyk has become a renowned global figure, returning to his Ukrainian homeland when Russia invaded in February of last year and continuing to represent his country on a global stage when he resumed his boxing career.

After Fury beat Chisora in his last fight, he faced off with Usyk in the ring and their teams conducted intensive negotiations for a protracted period.

Publicly Fury demanded Usyk agree to a 70/30 split, which the Ukrainian did accept as long as Fury consented to make a sizeable donation to the Ukrainian relief effort.

But the two parties were unable to conclude negotiations and Usyk’s promoter confirmed on Wednesday that talks had finally collapsed.

Dubois next for Uysk?

Britain’s Dubois is well-placed to challenge Usyk next, as long as he has recovered from the injury he sustained when he beat Kevin Lerena in his last fight.

Dubois is the mandatory challenger for the WBA title that Usyk holds and the WBA has already stated Usyk must begin negotiations for a defence against Dubois if he cannot show signed contracts for the Fury fight by 1 April.

Dubois is also represented by Warren, like Fury, so talks between the promoter and Usyk’s team will continue.

“We’re going to be having discussions anyway because if it comes to the mandatory Daniel Dubois, he’s with Frank as well,” Krassyuk said. “I treat Frank with big respect.

“We will have to comply with our obligations [for] the mandatories, probably. It’s very early to speak about that.”

No fighter has been considered the undisputed heavyweight champion since Lennox Lewis 20 years ago. Fury v Usyk would have crowned one finally. But the wait, for the fight the boxing world was longing to see, is set to continue.

Anthony Joshua: ‘I let myself down’ after Oleksandr Usyk defeat | UK News

Anthony Joshua has said he let himself down during an outburst in the ring following his heavyweight title defeat to Oleksandr Usyk.

The Ukrainian fighter won on a split points decision after the pair went the full 12 rounds in Saudi Arabia on Saturday night, which ended with Joshua throwing two of the title belts over the ropes and storming off.

Writing on Twitter, the 32-year-old Briton acknowledged his emotions “got the better of me”.

“I wish @usykaa continued success in your quest for greatness. You are a class act champ,” he said.

“Yesterday I had to mentally take myself into a dark place to compete for the championship belts!

“I had two fights, one with Usyk and one with my emotions and both got the better of me.

“I’ll be the first to admit, I let my self down.

“I acted out of pure passion and emotion and when not controlled it ain’t great. I love this sport so so much and I’ll be better from this point on. Respect.”

Joshua’s erratic behaviour saw him return to the ring after he had stormed off, grabbing the mic to address the crowd inside the King Abdullah Sports City stadium.

“If you knew my story, you would understand the passion,” he said.

“I ain’t no amateur boxer, from five years old, that was an elite prospect from youth.

“I was going to jail, I got bail and I started training my a*** off, I wanted to be able to fight.

“This guy beat me tonight, maybe I could have done better, but it shows the level of hard work I put in, so please give him a round of applause as our heavyweight champion of the world.”

The impromptu, impassioned speech split the boxing community, with some reacting in bemusement.

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‘I thought he was concussed!’

‘That was Usyk’s time to celebrate’

Joshua also received criticism for not allowing Usyk, who a few months ago was fighting on the front line of Russia’s invasion of his homeland, to speak first.

Fellow boxer Frazer Clarke told Sky Sports: “That was Usyk’s time to celebrate that victory, and he didn’t get to do it straight away, and I don’t think that was right.

“Anthony is a great person and has done a lot for a lot of people, a lot for me, but I feel like he had a bit of a bad one there, and it was out of character.”

Addressing the speech in the post-match news conference, Joshua said: “When you try and do things from your heart, not everyone’s going to always understand.

“It was just from the heart, I knew I was mad at myself… and I thought ‘I’ve gotta get out of here’.”

The defeat was his second consecutive loss to Usyk.

Read more: Who is Oleksandr Usyk?

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Joshua on storming out of ring: ‘I was mad’

Joshua has not offered an apology for his behaviour, but paid tribute to Usyk – and briefly posed with him holding the Ukrainian flag in a stand of solidarity in defiance of Russia’s ongoing assault.

Usyk said he hoped his win, which was free to view on Ukrainian TV, would raise more awareness of the war.

“I want to say that some people in the world are underestimating what is going on in Ukraine,” he said.

“Please open your eyes and see what is happening.”

Zelenskyy warns of ‘vicious’ Russian attack – live updates

Ukraine's Oleksandr Usyk, left, celebrates after beating Britain's Anthony Joshua, as they both hold a Ukrainian flag after their world heavyweight title fight at King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Sunday, Aug. 21, 2022. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Usyk, 35, also teased a potential clash with Tyson Fury after the fight.

Fury seemed keen, saying in a now-deleted Instagram post that he would “relieve the Ukrainian dosser of his belts”.

Usyk v Joshua: Boxing world reacts to AJ’s ‘out of character’ outburst after losing rematch | UK News

Anthony Joshua has split the boxing community after delivering an impromptu outburst following his defeat to Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk.

After the split decision was announced in the ring, Joshua grabbed two of the heavyweight championship belts and dumped them over the side of the ropes, before storming off towards the changing room.

However, he did return to the ring and grabbed the microphone to deliver an impromptu, impassioned speech.

He told the stadium in Jeddah: “If you knew my story, you would understand the passion.

“I ain’t no amateur boxer, from five years old that was an elite prospect from youth. I was going to jail, I got bail and I started training my a*** off, I wanted to be able to fight.

“This guy beat me tonight, maybe I could have done better, but it shows the level of hard work I put in, so please give him a round of applause as our heavyweight champion of the world.”

Joshua came in for criticism in the aftermath for failing to let his opponent speak first and dumping the belts over the side of the ring.

Professional boxer Frazer Clarke said Joshua’s outburst was “out of character” for him, telling Sky Sports: “As a gym friend and a friend in general, for anyone offended in general by what happened, I think I can apologise on his behalf for the outburst.

“His team might be mad at me for saying this, but I feel he was hung out to dry there. Somebody should have saved him from himself.

“It’s words, but in the true reflection of boxing, that was Usyk’s time to celebrate that victory, and he didn’t get to do it straight away, and I don’t think that was right.

“Anthony is a great person and has done a lot for a lot of people, a lot for me, but I feel like he had a bit of a bad one there, and it was out of character.”

He added: “Someone should have jumped in there. Someone should have stopped him and saved him from himself. It was only words, but it was the wrong time.”

Meanwhile, former middleweight champion Carl Froch defended Joshua, saying: “He didn’t say anything that would have offended anybody too much.

“He was just trying to speak off the cuff. He put his heart on his sleeve and hopefully didn’t offend anybody, but he did steal Usyk’s moment, and it was a bit strange.

“I think he was so emotionally built up to win that fight, the way in which he lost… I didn’t like the way the belts got thrown. It was a great boxing match, I thought it was a great performance.”

Oleksandr Usyk celebrates after winning the World Heavyweight Championship WBA Super IBF, IBO and WBO fight against Anthony Joshua at the King Abdullah Sport City Stadium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Picture date: Saturday August 20, 2022.

Addressing the speech in the post-match news conference alongside promoter Eddie Hearn, Joshua said: “When you try and do things from your heart, not everyone’s going to always understand.

“It was just from the heart, I knew I was mad at myself… and I thought ‘I’ve gotta get out of here’.

“Then I realised – this is sport.

“I’m a hustler, so I try and put things together… but it comes at a cost, and it’ll never break me, and it takes real strength not to break me, and tonight there’s a little crack in the armour because I took a loss.

“Let’s not forget about the champ… credit to him.”