Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk were expected to collide in a heavyweight championship boxing match, planned for April 29 at Wembley Stadium in London, England, but the bout was recently scrapped after negotiations fell apart in the final days.
That’s according to a report from ESPN, which indicates Usyk has “shut down his training camp” and will “regroup with his team to plot his next fight.”
That fight is likely to be against England’s 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.”
Both sides originally agreed to a 70-30 split in favor of Fury but Team Usyk had other demands for “The Gypsy King” that apparently fell on deaf ears.
“The discussion about the rematch split was just the point where Usyk was fed up with everything,” Krassyuk continued. “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. 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.”
WBA president Gilberto Mendoza recently set an April 1 deadline for signed contracts to be received, so there is still an outside chance this fight can be resurrected, but it sounds like both sides are ready to move on.