10 months ago
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TYSON FURY’S heavyweight showdown with Oleksandr Usyk has been postponed.
The £100million Fight of the Century will no longer take place on February 17 – because Fury suffered a cut in training.
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Fury suffered the cut above his right eyeX @QueensburyThe 35-year-old picked up the injury while sparring on Friday.
A statement from Queensbury Promotions on Twitter read: “WBC Heavyweight Champion Tyson Fury has been forced to postpone his fight with unified Champion Oleksandr Usyk after sustaining a freak cut during a sparring session in Riyadh.
“The cut, which opened above Fury’s right eye, required urgent medical attention and significant stitching, which will obviously require a period of recovery, scuppering any possibility of the fight with Usyk taking place on 17th February in Saudi Arabia.”
Discussing his injury, Fury said: “I am absolutely devastated after preparing for this fight for so long and being in such superb condition.
“I feel bad for everyone involved in this huge event and I will work diligently towards the rescheduled date once the eye has healed.
“I can only apologise to everyone affected including my own team, Team Usyk, the undercard fighters, partners, and fans as well as our hosts and my friends in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.”
Fury was set to face Usyk in a Saudi showdown, with four heavyweight titles on the line.
For the first time ever three major UK channels were set to battle for the viewing figures.
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What does this mean for boxing?
The saddest thing is this didn't really come as a surprise to the British boxing media.
Rumours of Fury struggling in sparring with cruiserweight King Jai Opetaia and teenage sensation Moses Itaums were rife.
It seemed unlikely that thr Gypsy King would risk upsetting Turki Alalsheik and the Saudi paymaster.
But now the disaster has officially hit.
As recently as Friday afternoon, SunSport was being invited to Usyk’s secret European camp for a media day on January 6.
And there was the release of the mega-money promo that merger about eight Hollywood films and cost silly million pounds.
If its only a cut, there is the outside chance Fury can be back in a few weeks.
But we saw against Otto Wallin that he’s vulnerable yo a bleed that needed months to recover.
When Fury was dropped and useless against Francis Ngannou in October – delaying the original undisputed decider – the money men behind the scenes created an incredible replacement with AJ vs Wallin
And they could do something absolutely crazy to compensate now.
DAZN, Sky Sports and TNT Sports all purchased rights to the event, with a stellar line-up of hosts and pundits booked.
A fight between Usyk and Filip Hrgovic is now reportedly being explored for the date.
The Ukrainian’s representatives have been told that it may be “several months” until Fury is ready to compete.
Usyk has allegedly been “mullering” sparring partners in the build-up to the scheduled fight date, forcing them to quit.
Despite the noise surrounding the blockbuster bout, the 37-year-old has kept a level head.
He recently told Ring Magazine: “I really don’t think about Tyson Fury. I don’t look at the way he acts and what he does.
“Most of his opponents fell for it. I don’t. For me, I focus on how I am, and how I prepare for when I go into the ring.”
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