Negotiations for a highly anticipated showdown between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk have been reignited, according to Fury’s US promoter.
The potential clash, aimed at unifying the world heavyweight titles, is now being discussed as part of a tournament that would also involve Anthony Joshua.
Saudi Arabia has emerged as a potential host for the event. Previous talks between Fury, the WBC champion, and Usyk, the holder of the WBA, WBO, and IBF titles, collapsed in March due to a disagreement over the purse split.
‼️ Oleksandr Usyk has said that negotiations for him to fight Tyson Fury in Saudi Arabia in December are now stuck “at an impasse”. However, he remains confident and added: “The fight will take place sooner or later. And everything will be decided in the ring.” [VRINGE]
— Michael Benson (@MichaelBensonn) May 15, 2023
However, promoter Bob Arum revealed this week that Fury is likely to face Zhilei Zhang at Wembley in July.
Zhang secured a victory over Joe Joyce last month, despite Joyce activating a rematch clause on Tuesday, which adds further intrigue to the unfolding heavyweight landscape.
Despite Fury’s previous dismissal of participating in a four-man tournament in Saudi Arabia that includes former world champion Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder, the idea has resurfaced, this time with Fury in the mix.
The potential event could feature Joshua facing Wilder, while Fury takes on Usyk, with the victors potentially facing each other down the line. Anthony himself recently admitted that there “might be some truth” to reports about him facing Wilder in the tournament.
Oleksandr Usyk can’t wait to fight against Tyson Fury
Eddie Hearn, Joshua’s promoter, confirmed that he has yet to receive any offers from Saudi Arabia, but has expressed Joshua’s interest in being a part of the tournament.
The inclusion of Fury, a long-standing rival of Joshua, would undoubtedly add another layer of intrigue to what could be one of the most significant heavyweight events in recent memory.
Dubois, hailing from London, has emerged as a strong contender to take on Usyk following his impressive victory over Kevin Lerena on the undercard of Fury’s last fight.
While Dubois holds the ‘regular’ WBA title, which is a secondary belt to Oleksandr’s full world championship, he has earned mandatory challenger status for Usyk’s belt. However, discussions for the potential bout are still ongoing, and no official date or venue has been confirmed yet.
Meanwhile, there is no clear indication of Fury’s next fight, with the upset victory of China’s Zhilei Zhang over Joe Joyce last month potentially complicating matters. Joyce has since activated the rematch clause in his contract with Zhang, hoping to reclaim his place at the top of the heavyweight division.
As with any sport, boxing, and especially the unpredictable world of heavyweight boxing, can hold surprises both inside and outside the ring.
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