By Barry Holbrook: The undisputed clash between WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury and IBF, WBA & WBO champ Oleksandr Usyk is being targeted for March in Saudi Arabia.
Mike Coppinger reported that Fury (32-0-1, 23 KOs) and Usyk (20-0, 13 KOs) could meet in March in Saudi Arabia. Fury, 34, needs to win his fight against British domestic-level heavyweight Derek Chisora on December 3rd to keep alive his hopes for the Usyk undisputed fight.
The boxing public won’t be happy that Fury’s fight with Usyk could take place overseas in Saudi Arabia, but that’s obviously where it can make the most money. Unless someone from the UK with deep pockets can match the Saudi money, the fight will take place in the Middle East.
Although there’s very little chance of Fury losing to the 38-year-old Chisora, you can’t count out Delboy because he’s got the power to score a knockout if he can land something on the button.
“Tyson Fury called out Oleksandr Usyk and Anthony Joshua. Tyson Fury, of course, heavyweight champion, and Usyk Usyk has a claim to the heavyweight title,” said Max Kellerman on Max on Boxing.
Tyson Fury fights Derek Chisora on Dec. 3, and it could serve as a tune-up for Oleksandr Usyk. There are ongoing talks between the sides for Fury and Usyk, sources tell ESPN, with March in Saudi Arabia a possibility for the undisputed heavyweight championship fight. #FuryUsyk pic.twitter.com/mZFFwWQrkj
— Mike Coppinger (@MikeCoppinger) October 24, 2022
“Neither Joshua nor Usyk seemed eager to fight the slick 6’9”, 265 pound, now also a power-punching champion.
“So to stay active, Fury will now fight the very credible Derek Chisora, but a man that he’s already beaten by wide margins. Once by a stoppage.”
“We never believed that Fury was going to fight Joshua. It never seemed real to me, even though they were saying all the right things publicly,” said Mike Coppinger. “I think all along, Fury wanted to fight Oleksandr Usyk for the undisputed championship.
“I’m told that there are still talks going on for Fury to fight Usyk in Saudi Arabia in March for all four belts. Fury saw Joshua as a tune-up, I suppose. Fury didn’t think Joshua presented much of a challenge, and Chisora seems to be the only one available that has a big name in the UK.
“Like you say, he’s [Chisora] a credible opponent. The problem is that Fury has already beaten him twice, so who really wants to see that again?
“As a tune-up for Usyk, I don’t really mind it. I do think we get that fight, and I don’t know where Joshua goes from here.”
“It’s almost like Tyson is Apollo Creed in the first Rocky. Remember, the idea was that Apollo was so much better than everyone that he had no one to fight. So he came up with this gimmick; who is going to be Rocky? Who is going to play Rocky for Tyson Fury’s Apollo?” said Kellerman.