Usyk’s Promoter Says Fury Will Pull Out Of A Rematch – ‘Fury Has Withdrawn Four Times Already’

Alexander Krassyuk, Oleksandr Usyk’s promoter, expects Tyson Fury to pull out of a rematch. 

The Undisputed Heavyweight Championship takes place on May 18. The fight had been in the making for some time. However, Fury pulled out on two occasions, delaying it further. The fight was first scheduled for December 23. Fury withdrew after getting dropped in the Francis Ngannou. The fight was rescheduled for February 17. Once again, Fury pulled out.

This time, the boxer suffered a sparring cut over his right eye, requiring 11 stitches. This time around, Usyk’s team has lined up Filip Hrgovic if Fury still needs to make the date. Based on Fury’s history of not going through with things, Krassyuk does not feel Fury will honor the rematch with Usyk. He referenced Fury’s win over Wladimir Klitschko, where he failed to give the Ukrainian a rematch. 

Usyk’s Promoter

“I’ve not got too much confidence in the rematch happening, by the way. If Tyson Fury loses, will he have the confidence to step inside the ring again? Theoretically, he can, but we all know what happened in the rematch with Wladimir Klitschko,” Krassyuk said 

Those comments have to be put into context. Fury did not go through with the rematch the first time since he suffered an ankle injury. The boxer then pulled out again with mental health issues. Klitschko would then box against Anthony Joshua, getting stopped before announcing his retirement. This time around, things could be different depending on the results.

A Fury loss will increase the incentive to run things back, while a win will likely set up Fury vs Joshua. Usyk must remain on guard for all types of possibilities. He has had several camps for the Fury fight, only to start again. The Saudis have also issued a $10 million fine on either fighter if they withdraw. That is something team Usyk is wary of. 

Usyk’s Preparation

“Usyk has actually had a triple camp for this fight. He started in September for the fight to take place last December. We showed up to the Ngannou fight to step in the ring to announce the fight for the undisputed, but his team jumped and said he didn’t look that good, so Usyk gave him some space to prepare at his camp in Saudi Arabia. We were then meant to fight on Feb. 17, then we were rescheduled for May. Tyson Fury has withdrawn four times already from this fight,” Krassyuk stated 

The fight is considered a 50-50, with Fury’s cut evening things up. Before the cut, the narrative was that Fury would overpower the Ukrainian. However, Fury must be wary of avoiding the cut reopening. It is the second time he has been cut in that same area, the first which occurred against Otto Wallin. The fight against Wallin should arguably have been stopped. The pressure on the referee will increase with the stakes at an all-time high. Both men must be on their A-game to come out on top.