By Charles Brun: In hinting at trouble ahead, Tyson Fury said over the weekend that he thinks Oleksandr Usyk and Anthony Joshua “don’t” want to fight him.
WBC heavyweight belt-holder Fury (33-0-1, 24 KOs) says he’d “love” to fight IBF, WBA & WBO unified champ Usyk & former two-time champion Joshua, but he doubts whether either of them is interested in facing him.
Given Fury’s sour attitude for fights against Usyk & Joshua, he could ask for too much money from the Saudis for a December fight and wind up off the card. The Saudis want Fury vs. Usyk as part of the event, but if Tyson asks for too much loot, he’ll wind up off the card.
It’s anyone’s guess who Fury will wind up fighting again. I mean, the UK public probably won’t be too excited at seeing 39-year-old Derek Chisora trotted out again as Fury’s next opponent, but it wouldn’t be a shock if that’s the direction ‘The Gyspy King’ goes in for his next fight.
Some boxing fans believe that the punishment Fury took to the head from Deontay Wilder in 2021 has recked his courage & self-belief. Wilder dropped Fury hard twice in round four and had him knocked out if not for what appeared to be a slow count by the referee, which allowed Tyson to climb off the canvas at the count of nine to just barely escape a knockout loss.
Fury & Usyk could be fighting in December in Saudi Arabia as part of a massive card involving Joshua facing former WBC champion Deontay Wilder in a mouth-watering fight, which is the lynchpin of the card.
It’s possible that Fury could negotiate himself out of the fight with Usyk by pricing himself out, winding up whiffing on another massive contest. Fury has already struck out with his attempts to set up fights with Joshua and Usyk.
“I’d love it to happen, love it to happen. I’d love to fight Oleksandr Usyk and AJ, but I just don’t think they want to fight me,” said Tyson Fury during a speaking event in Tenerife.
If you’re the Saudis, you need to think about finding someone else as a backup opponent for Usyk to fight in December in case Fury drags his feet in the negotiations and asks for unreal money.
“I don’t think anybody’s scared of anybody in a boxing match. The fight’s got to happen; it’s got to happen this year,” Fury continued about Usyk.
“I just think it’s an easy job. I’ll hit him; he’ll hit the floor, then I’ll go out and get drunk in the town center,” said Fury, not realizing that drinking alcohol is prohibited in Saudi Arabia.
