TYSON FURY vs Oleksandr Usyk is currently OFF with promoter Frank Warren trying to work one final miracle to save it.
The deal for the Wembley April 29 heavyweight undisputed decider was hours from being signed off before a row on Tuesday grounded negotiations on the final straight.
Usyk’s manager Egis Klimas has blamed the 34-year-old WBC Gypsy King for the collapse, saying: “No matter how much Usyk compromised, he was pushed for more”.
But SunSport understands Team Fury will lay the blame at 36-year-old Usyk’s door for making unrealistic demands behind the scenes.
Southpaw mastermind Usyk undoubtedly called Fury’s bluff by accepting a paltry 30 per cent of the mega-money showdown.
And then the 6ft 9in Brit pulled off another coup by getting the rematch clause ripped up.
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However he pushed his luck too far when he posted one final video mocking Usyk and his team for taking the skinny end of the four-belt showdown.
Fury’s faux pas was roaring: “You get what you’re getting, don’t worry.
“You got your fighter to accept 30 percent, you bum dosser.
“You got outwitted by a man who never went to school in his life, sausage!”
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Hall-of-fame promoter Frank Warren and his Queensberry team hope the deal can be resurrected in the next 24 hours.
Despite the planned bout being just five weeks away, they had done all the groundwork to get the fight on track to be another record-breaking Wembley spectacular.
If the fantasy fight really is dead then WBA, IBF and WBO boss Usyk will have to fight Fury’s stablemate and WBA mandatory Daniel Dubious.
Fury will cancel his April 29 date and not rush into a hastily made Plan B, returning to the drawing board for a summer showdown of his own.
The frustrating talks have been rumbling on since August, when it was slated for Saudi Arabia and included a rematch.
After the Sheikh’s pulled down, Fury successfully moved the goalposts to make it a 70-30 split in his favour.
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Canny Usyk snapped up the offer, on the provision Fury donated £1million to help his war-ravaged nation of Ukraine fight off Russia and rebuild.
But then Fury countered with a demand to have the rematch clause – that had always previously been included – ripped up.
Fury then went into camp, drafted in southpaw sparring and had trainer Sugarhill Steward fly in from America but there was still no solid confirmation that all the caveats had been agreed to and on Tuesday night, the dreaded news broke.
Seen as Usyk had already agreed to a stingy slice of the pie and fight in Fury’s backyard yard where he would concede crucial home advantage, it’s no surprise he has baulked at axing the rematch.
If the London 2012 Olympic winner gets a dodgy decision on foreign soil – where Fury would have close to 100,000 fans cheering him on potentially swaying the three judges – it would be a travesty for him to have no chance at instant redemption.
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Fury and his team are now sure to blame Usyk for ducking out and the Eastern European’s will return fire with claims and accusations of greed.
It’s another sorry state of affairs for boxing that needed this bout so much.
Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk
