Boxing

EDDIE HEARN has proposed three mouthwatering fights to crown an undisputed heavyweight champion should Tyson Fury versus Oleksandr Usyk fail to happen.A proposed unification bout between the Gypsy King and the Ukrainian fell through this week with the two parties unable to agree terms.
Tyson Fury’s (above) clash with Oleksandr Usyk has been scupperedCredit: Instagram @tysonfury
Anthony Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn has suggested a mouthwatering alternative to crown an undisputed champCredit: PA
Usyk was even prepared to agree a 70-30 purse split in Fury’s favour to make the fight happen.
But according to Usyk’s agent Egis Klimas Fury kept making more demands which made reaching a compromise impossible – including a no rematch clause.
Since then, former WBC heavyweight champ Deontay Wilder, who was dethroned by Fury, has offered to step in and fight Usyk.
And Joshua, who has suffered back-to-back defeats to Usyk, is preparing for his return to the ring when he faces American Jermaine Franklin at the O2 on Saturday 1 April.
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Now his Matchroom Promoter Hearn has suggested a four-man tournament consisting of three mega fights to crown an undisputed king of the heavyweights should AJ win next week.
He tweeted: “If Fury vs Usyk doesn’t get made…and AJ gets past Franklin…Fury vs AJ, Wilder vs Usyk – winner vs winner for undisputed.”
Meanwhile, AJ is glad boxing fans can finally see all the ‘crazy s***’ that comes with negotiating with Fury.
Joshua, 33, and Fury were days away from securing the biggest fight in British boxing history in late Spring of 2021 – perhaps even a two-fight undisputed spectacular – that was scuppered when Deontay Wilder won his legal claim for a third Fury fight.
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And last December – after Fury had finished off Wilder and beaten up Dillian Whyte and Derek Chisora – he offered AJ a short-notice showdown, after he had lost his second bout and three belts to Usyk.
Joshua hopes fans finally are understanding what a nightmare it is to deal with his nemesis, saying: “I will be real, as much as I like to entertain that gossip and Fury situation, I have been there twice and people don’t remember that.
“I was supposed to fight him before I fought Usyk, the first time, and he pulled out due to his legal case, the arbitration, with Wilder. That was all up in the air and done online.
“Look at all the s*** they are going through now with this Usyk stuff. It’s just crazy.
“I don’t publicise things so it’s actually good that people are starting to see what goes on in negotiations.
“It’s good that people can actually see the s*** that people have got to put up with to make a fight.
“Me and Usyk got two successful fights done. It’s just crazy.”
Oleksandr Usyk looks set to defend against mandatory challenger Daniel Dubois nowCredit: AP
Deontay Wilder has offered to step in and fight the UkrainianCredit: AFP More

OLEKSANDR USYK’S wife Yekaterina has trolled Tyson Fury after her husband’s £100million Wembley fight with the Gypsy King fell through.The Ukrainian’s agent Egis Klimas confirmed that the proposed April 29 bout is OFF after failing to agree a deal with Fury’s team.
Yekaterina Usyk mocked Tyson Fury on InstagramCredit: https://www.instagram.com/usykkaterina/
Yekaterina and Oleksandr wed in 2009Credit: https://www.instagram.com/usykkaterina/
An explosive fight between the pair would have unified the heavyweight division.
But Klimas revealed: “No matter how much Usyk compromised, he was pushed for more.”
Usyk will now likely face Brit Daniel Dubois in a mandatory defence of his titles in June or July.
Yekaterina has mocked Fury online for being “greedy” – also labelling the WBC heavyweight champ as the “Gypsy Queen”.
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Usyk’s wife then took to Instagram to post a picture of Fury’s face edited onto a queen wearing a dress.
She wrote in Ukrainian: “And for the last time.
“Being greedy is very bad!!!
“The best is yet to come!!!”
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Yekaterina posted this mocked up poster to InstagramCredit: https://www.instagram.com/usykkaterina/
She then also posted a mocked up poster of Fury and Derek Chisora – joking that after avoiding Usyk, the Gypsy King would fight Del Boy again.
Yekaterina wrote: “This is the fight that the fans of Belly Fury are waiting for @tysonfury.”
Anthony Joshua, meanwhile, is glad that fans are now seeing how difficult negotiations with Team Fury can be.
The 33-year-old, who has twice seen bouts with the Gypsy King fall through, said: “I will be real. As much as I like to entertain that gossip and Fury situation, I have been there twice and people don’t remember that.
“I was supposed to fight him before I fought Usyk, the first time, and he pulled out due to his legal case, the arbitration, with Wilder. That was all up in the air and done online.
‘IT’S JUST CRAZY’
“Look at all the s*** they are going through now with this Usyk stuff. It’s just crazy.
“I don’t publicise things so it’s actually good that people are starting to see what goes on in negotiations.
“It’s good that people can actually see the s*** that people have got to put up with to make a fight.
“Me and Usyk got two successful fights done. It’s just crazy.”
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Deontay Wilder would be willing to step in to fight Usyk.
The Bronze Bomber’s manager Shelly Finkel Sky Sports: “If the Oleksandr Usyk fight is available, Deontay Wilder will take it in a heartbeat.”
Olekandr Usyk’s bout with Tyson Fury has fallen throughCredit: Getty More

FANS fear Tyson Fury will never fight Oleksandr Usyk after his rant about the Ukrainian went viral.A proposed fight between the pair fell through this week with the two parties unable to a agree a deal.
Tyson Fury never considered Oleksandr Usyk a big enough opponentCredit: PA
Usyk was prepared to accept a 70-30 purse split in Fury’s favour to make the fight happenCredit: Reuters
It is believed Usyk was even prepared to agree a 70-30 purse split in Fury’s favour to make the fight happen.
But according to Usyk’s agent Egis Klimas Fury kept making more demands which made reaching a compromise impossible.
And now quotes from 2020 have emerged which indicate Fury, 34, never wanted to fight the heavyweight champion.
Asked about a potential clash, Fury responded saying: “Usyk ain’t on the list. He’s a no-name, no-one’s interested and it won’t make any money.
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He’s a small cruiserweight. A foreign [who] doesn’t speak good English and nobody’s really interested anyway he’s not set anything alight.
“I want the big fights that people are interested in and that ain’t one of them. He’s still a foreigner in a westernised world.
“The belts are back in the west and they’re going to stay there. Whatever it sounds like the heavyweight champion should be from Britain or America and nowhere else.
“Because maybe it Ukraine he might be a big star but Britain or America ain’t interested in some Ukrainian boxer boxing in Ukraine.
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“The heavyweight champions needs to be from the west and that’s it. That’s how it goes.”
Boxing fans feel Fury is ducking Usyk with some claiming he is scared to face the Ukrainian.
One fan wrote: “How many times did he essentially say I’m just afraid I might lose to #Usyk? Kept repeating that the heavyweight belts have to stay in the West. Huh? If you were to win, that’s precisely where they’d stay. Just say’in.”
Another added: “This statement is the most hilarious excuse I’ve heard for ducking smoke.”
And a third said: “He’s a fraud.”
Another commented: “Scared.”
Usyk, 36, now looks set to instead face mandatory challenger Daniel Dubois, 25, per the WBA’s request.
But former WBC champion Deontay Wilder, 37, has thrown his name into the hat for a mega-fight with the WBA, IBF and WBO champion. More

ANTHONY JOSHUA is glad boxing fans can finally see all the ‘crazy s***’ that comes with negotiating with Tyson Fury.The 34-year-old WBC Gypsy King’s undisputed April 29 Wembley decider with Oleksandr Usyk has collapsed just five weeks out.
Joshua has not held back as he looked over the messy negotiations that has left the Fury-Usyk fight to collapseCredit: Getty
Team Fury are blaming the 36-year-old WBA, IBF and WBO boss for demanding too big a percentage of the potential rematch.
Team Usyk insist it is ridiculous that their man should accept the stingy side of a 70-30 split – for a four-belt showdown on away soil – and the same carve-up in any rerun.
AJ, 33, and Fury were days away from securing the biggest fight in British boxing history in late Spring of 2021 – perhaps even a two-fight undisputed spectacular – that was scuppered when Deontay Wilder won his legal claim for a third Fury fight.
And last December – after Fury had finished off Wilder and beaten up Dillian Whyte and Derek Chisora – he offered AJ a short-notice showdown, after he had lost his second bout and three belts to Usyk.
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Ahead of his April 1 comeback fight against Jermaine Franklin, Joshua hopes fans finally are understanding what a nightmare it is to deal with his nemesis.
“I will be real,” he said from his Wimbledon base ahead of the O2 bout.
“As much as I like to entertain that gossip and Fury situation, I have been there twice and people don’t remember that.
“I was supposed to fight him before I fought Usyk, the first time, and he pulled out due to his legal case, the arbitration, with Wilder. That was all up in the air and done online.
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“Look at all the s*** they are going through now with this Usyk stuff. It’s just crazy.
“I don’t publicise things so it’s actually good that people are starting to see what goes on in negotiations.
“It’s good that people can actually see the s*** that people have got to put up with to make a fight.
“Me and Usyk got two successful fights done. It’s just crazy.”
It’s a sorry state of affairs and Joshua doubts him and Fury will ever settle the score in the ring.
Usyk now has to face the WBA’s mandatory challenger in Daniel Dubois, while Fury will likely sit out until the summer.
Tyson Fury is coming under fire from some fight fans for his role in the heavyweight debacleCredit: Reuters
Fans of the 6ft 9in showman will insist he has earned the right to call the shots and demand the lion’s share of any fight, especially after iconic away wins over Wladimir Klitschko and Wilder.
But his critics will now suggest his three-year hiatus and failed fights with AJ and Usyk make him a fraud.
AJ is doing his best not to lose any more sleep over it.
“Will the fight between me and him get made?” he wondered? “I don’t know.
“I cannot say I am just going to sit around and wait for this geezer.
“There are other great fights out there I can have.
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“Without Fury on my record I will not wake up tomorrow and regret my whole boxing career.
“If he is up for it, I am up for it, if he is not, he is not. Whatever.” More

DEONTAY WILDER is ready to step in and fight Oleksandr Usyk after talks with Tyson Fury broke down. Usyk’s side claimed they were forced to pull the plug on the proposed four-belt unification- the first in history – due to Fury’s “disrespectful” demands.
Deontay Wilder is ready to step in and fight Oleksandr UsykCredit: Getty
Oleksandr Usyk’s fight with Tyson Fury faces collapseCredit: Getty
And the Ukrainian legend, 36, now looks set to instead face mandatory challenger Daniel Dubois, 25, per the WBA’s request.
But former WBC champion Wilder, 37, has thrown his name into the hat for a mega-fight with the WBA, IBF and WBO champion.
His manager Shelly Finkel told Sky Sports: “If the Oleksandr Usyk fight is available, Deontay Wilder will take it in a heartbeat.”
Wilder is a promotional free agent currently and knocked out Robert Helenius, 38, in round one of his October comeback fight.
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And the American has been in recent talks to fight Francis Ngannou, 36, who is now eyeing a boxing move after leaving the UFC.
Meanwhile, Usyk’s historic undisputed title fight with Fury, 34, faces collapse after negotiations broke down at the 11th hour.
He publicly accepted the “greedy” offer of just a 70/30 split to unify all four belts on April 29 at Wembley.
But behind the scenes organisers struggled to get the deal over the line as the target date fast approached.
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Usyk’s promoter Alex Krassyuk spoke out to reveal that the sticking point was the financial split for a potential rematch between the rivals.
But Fury’s promoter Frank Warren hit back to try and shift the focus to the original fight again.
Warren sensationally came to a head with Krassyuk live on air with talkSPORT, where an agreement to renegotiate was met.
He said: “We’re not gonna be negotiating over the radio, that’s for sure. But Alex and I are friends.
“I still believe this fight can be made and I believe with the will of everybody concerned we can get it over the line and that’s what I’m trying to do.”
Krassyuk replied: “From our perspective now this fight is not going to happen on April 29.
“Maybe some miracle can happen, but I’m really sincere, I’m not trying to play games. Usyk’s camp pulled the plug out.”
Warren concluded: “As soon as we finish with you guys, we’re gonna get back on the phone together Alex and I.
“We’re gonna have a chat and if we can do this we’re gonna come back to you and tell you we’ve done a deal.”
It has punched new hope that a compromise can be met but Warren admitted: “We’ve probably got about a day, maybe two days, then we’re done.”
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Tyson Fury facing off with Oleksandr UsykCredit: REUTERS More