TYSON FURY and Oleksandr Usyk will finally have their long-awaited fight. It is considered to be the most significant match in the sport. However, there is a sense of uncertainty that it might fall apart at any moment.
Traditionally, boxing fans have been disappointed many times in recent years, so it is difficult to fully celebrate. The fights between Fury-Usyk, Fury-Anthony Joshua, and Joshua-Deontay Wilder have all come close to happening before. The amount of time spent reporting on these elusive fights and the subsequent disappointments have been extensive. It has become typical to expect the fights to fall apart. In the world of boxing, it is easier to simply accept it rather than get angry about it. That’s just how the boxing business works.
What is more bothersome is how the sport’s image suffers when these fights are canceled. The mainstream media, for example, hardly pays attention to this latest announcement. They might think twice about reporting it. As we have mentioned before, one would have to go back to 1999 and the Lennox Lewis versus Evander Holyfield fight to find the last time the top two heavyweights settled their differences in the ring.
It is natural for Fury-Usyk to have already taken place. However, in boxing, there are no set schedules or obligations for the top fighters to face each other. We are at the mercy of the fighters and their volatile egos to negotiate and reach agreements.
But this time feels different. The announcement came unexpectedly on Friday, September 29. Fury’s promoter, Frank Warren, expressed his delight at finally signing the fight. He stated, “This is the biggest fight that could possibly be made in our sport. The heavyweights always capture the fans’ imagination, and I have no doubt that this will be the biggest boxing event of the century.”
Usyk’s team agreed, with Alex Krassyuk saying, “I can’t believe it’s happening, but it is. It’s difficult to express my admiration for being part of the biggest heavyweight fight of the century.”
Perhaps learning from previous failures, the negotiations, disputes, purses, and timelines were kept off social media and away from the public eye. Importantly, rival promoters were not involved in sharing their opinions on the matter. The respective teams did not tease that talks were taking place. They knew that social media can be a minefield, better suited for marketing fights that are already confirmed rather than attempting to finalize agreements.
Boxing News has learned that legally binding contracts have been signed, and only retirement from one of the fighters could prevent the fight from happening. Fury is scheduled to face MMA star Francis Ngannou on October 28, with the fight funded by Saudi Arabia’s The General Entertainment Authority [GEA] as part of Riyadh Season. While we do not consider this fight to be competitive, it is wise to consider the possibility that Fury could sustain an injury or cut in such a chaotic encounter.
Riyadh Season, which is also funding Fury-Usyk, runs from October to March. Efforts will be made to get the fighters in the ring as quickly as possible after the Ngannou contest, but there is room for a five-month recovery period for Tyson if necessary.
Oleksandr Usyk (SERGEI CHUZAVKOV/AFP via Getty Images)
So why announce it now? Fights being confirmed without specific dates often raise suspicion, as previously explained. Boxing News has learned that leading IBF heavyweight contender Filip Hrgovic was pushing for his mandated shot at Usyk, the current belt holder. Only the confirmation of a unification fight would prevent the sanctioning body from enforcing that contest. When Hrgovic and his team were informed of the plans to stage Fury-Usyk, it was only a matter of time before the news was confirmed elsewhere.
Eddie Hearn’s response was also positive. Rather than trying to belittle the announcement, he expressed his determination to follow his rival’s example and make Joshua-Wilder happen, a fight that has faced hurdles in recent weeks.
While the Saudi Arabia setting is morally controversial, it seems increasingly pointless to object in the world of boxing. Other sports with governing bodies and stricter entry barriers, such as football, tennis, golf, and motor racing, have long been enticed by the wealth of the Middle East. In this case, only boxers who are willing to stand up for their principles can be considered morally upright. Regardless of personal opinions, the argument against athletes for not having a conscience in these matters seems unfair.
We do not know how long Saudi Arabia’s relationship with boxing will last or how much longer they will invest millions in the sport. However, if they can make fights happen that would otherwise be impossible, fans will likely turn a blind eye to human rights concerns. Boxing has never been a sport associated with preaching virtue, after all.
So, we take what we can get, and Fury versus Usyk is the best we can hope for in this imperfect sport.