Mike CoppingerESPN4 Minute Read
The proposed undisputed heavyweight championship combat subsequent month between Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury at Wembley Stadium in London is in jeopardy because the fighters proceed to haggle over deal factors past the 70-30 cut up in favor of Fury for the web income, sources advised ESPN.
Usyk has shut down his coaching camp, based on sources, and can regroup together with his staff to plot his subsequent combat. The 36-year-old Ukrainian holds the WBA, WBO and IBF heavyweight titles whereas Fury is the WBC champion.
Fury’s promoter, Frank Warren, and Usyk’s promoter, Alexander Krassyuk, mentioned the stalled negotiations throughout a joint radio interview Wednesday on Talksport. Warren stated he obtained an e mail Tuesday from Usyk’s supervisor, Egis Klimas, that acknowledged “Team Usyk is out of further negotiations.”
“The fight is called off,” Krassyuk stated. “The reason for that is it went too far. There was a feeling that after Usyk accepted 70-30, Tyson Fury started thinking that he could put a saddle around his neck and start riding Usyk as much as he can. It’s not right. I mean, Usyk accepted the 70-30 split as a courtesy.
” … If it is so difficult that Tyson tries to keep away from it by placing so many obstacles in entrance whereas making the deal then there is no have to put extra effort in and we simply go our means. … There was an inventory of issues [Fury] wished to get in his favor that was completely unacceptable, which had been utterly disrespectful to the unified [heavyweight] champion and former undisputed [cruiserweight] champion.”
Warren, however, said the sides ironed out all the issues Sunday except for the split of net revenue in the rematch. According to sources, the sides agreed to a bilateral rematch clause that the loser could trigger. Usyk’s side pushed for the same 70-30 split, but in his favor, for a return bout in the United Kingdom should he defeat Fury.
Fury asked for a 50-50 split in the U.K., where he’s a major star, if he suffered his first professional defeat, sources said. When Usyk signed to fight Anthony Joshua in September 2021 in London — a fight he won to capture three heavyweight titles — the rematch clause that Joshua went on to exercise included a 50-50 split, according to sources.
The rematch clause issue only pertains to a return bout in the U.K. If the rematch took place in the Middle East, where sizable site fees are the norm for big boxing events, each side would do its own deal. Usyk and Joshua ended up in Saudi Arabia for their August 2022 rematch, which Usyk also won via decision. Fury and Usyk were in talks with officials from Saudi Arabia before they turned their attention to the U.K.
Last week, Fury posted a video on Twitter with a message to Usyk: “How about there isn’t a rematch clause for each of us? … Never fear about what’s sooner or later or what number of extra {dollars} you will get after you have been defeated. Worry concerning the combat. No rematch clause. Winner takes the glory, the loser goes dwelling. How about that? Agree to that.”
Usyk quickly responded: “Greedy Belly … the clause comes out of your aspect, not mine. Stop whining and ducking. Be a person. Ink the contract or vacate the belt. I would like undisputed — and to not play your silly video games.”
That was three days after representatives for both Fury and Usyk informed WBA president Gilberto Mendoza that a tentative agreement was reached hours before the 5 p.m. ET deadline on March 10 to hold off the order for an Usyk-Dubois bout that would spoil plans. Three mandatory challengers are waiting for their shot at Usyk, but England’s Daniel Dubois is up first in the rotation system used for boxing’s unified champions.
The WBA then set an April 1 deadline for signed contracts to be received. Now, the WBA is poised to order a fight between Usyk and Dubois unless a last-ditch effort can be made to salvage a fight against Fury.
“Rematch clauses might be very tough, and Tyson’s been there earlier than when a rematch blocked a combat with him and Anthony Joshua when Deontay Wilder took him to courtroom,” Warren said, referring to the arbitration ruling in 2021 that led to a third Fury-Wilder fight. “Anyway, I satisfied Tyson to take the rematch [with Usyk] and he did.
“Then we got into a situation with how is the rematch money gonna be split and that’s what we’ve been working on. … Why can’t it be overcome if [Usyk] wants the fight? We want the fight, why can’t it be overcome? … There’s no reason for this fight to be off.”
Fury (33-0-1, 24 KOs) stayed busy in December with a Tenth-round TKO of Derek Chisora to retain his heavyweight title. After Fury stopped Dillian Whyte in six rounds final April, he introduced his retirement, nevertheless it lasted solely 4 months.
Fury, 34, defeated one other Ukrainian, Wladimir Klitschko, to win the unified heavyweight championship in 2015. He was out of the ring for almost three years as he handled alcohol and substance abuse together with despair. During that hiatus, Fury’s weight elevated to 400 kilos.
Fury returned to the ring with two wins over comfortable opposition earlier than he survived two knockdowns vs. Wilder to accept a attract a combat most observers believed he gained. Fury left little question within the rematch, a seventh-round TKO to win the WBC title. The trilogy combat, which Fury gained through Eleventh-round KO, was named ESPN’s Fight of the Year and Knockout of the Year for 2021.
Usyk (20-0, 13 KOs) gained the undisputed cruiserweight championship with a unanimous resolution victory over Murat Gassiev in 2018 earlier than he moved as much as heavyweight in 2019. The Olympic gold medalist defeated Chisora in his second heavyweight combat earlier than he signed for a bout with Anthony Joshua for 3 heavyweight titles.
