The highly anticipated heavyweight unification bout between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk has been thrown into uncertainty after Fury emerged from a grueling fight against Francis Ngannou with injuries that could delay the matchup. Although bookmakers have already set up lines for the fight for the absolute champion.
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This year
Fury and Usyk had signed contracts and were targeting December 23rd in Saudi Arabia for their showdown to crown an undisputed heavyweight champion. But immediately after Fury earned a hard-fought split decision win over Ngannou in a crossover boxing match on October 29th, doubts emerged about whether he could recover in time to face Usyk this year.
Fury’s promoter Frank Warren said the WBC champion would not be ready for a December return, citing the punishing nature of the Ngannou fight. Fury survived a third round knockdown and finished the fight with a badly swollen left eye.
Warren’s comments contradicted the agreed upon timeline between the fighters, with Usyk’s promoter Alexander Krassyuk confirming December 23rd was the date written into the signed contracts. While understanding injuries happen, Usyk made clear through Krassyuk he intends to stick to the agreed upon schedule.
«Postpone the fight? No. Why did he sign the contract and why did they announce the fight before Fury fought against Ngannou?», – Usyk questioned about a potential delay.
Not this year
A few days after the Ngannou fight, ESPN reported that sources revealed the bout will likely get pushed back to February 2024, allowing Fury more time to recover from injuries and have a full training camp. The key factor being cited for Fury’s team wanting a delay are cuts the British fighter supposedly suffered against Ngannou.
Usyk’s promoter Krassyuk said while they won’t force an injured Fury to fight, they want evidence the cuts are legitimate reason for a two month postponement. «If they just don’t want to face Usyk because he’s tired and they don’t want to take a risk, it doesn’t sound reasonable», – Krassyuk said.
From Usyk’s perspective, he believes Fury should honor the agreed upon date, arguing that whatever injuries Fury sustained, he brought upon himself by taking the risky Ngannou fight in the first place.
Who can influence the date
Usyk finds himself with minimal leverage, however. As the WBC champion, Fury is not mandated to fight him, so the bout is voluntary. That leaves the Saudi event organizers as the only ones capable of compelling Fury contractually. They signed separate deals with each fighter, supposedly containing guaranteed fees and the December 23rd date.
Unless Fury has a change of heart, the heavyweight division’s momentum toward an undisputed champion will slow. Fury’s foray into crossover boxing looks to have backfired, as the damage sustained against Ngannou now jeopardizes the biggest fight in the sport’s glamor division.
For Usyk, it’s a frustrating wait after he emphatically beat Anthony Joshua for the second time in August. He hoped to capitalize on the momentum from that victory. Instead, he now faces an extended training camp and potentially increased ring rust.
Fury, meanwhile, has drawn criticism not only for the postponement, but also the risk of taking the Ngannou fight in the first place. Some believe Fury should have stayed focused solely on training for Usyk and not been distracted by the lure of a crossover matchup.
