A bout was initially scheduled for the end of April but negotiations hit a roadblock when the rematch clause could not be agreed upon, despite Usyk accepting a 70/30 purse split in favour of Fury.
Reports then surfaced about a grand event in Saudi Arabia in December, featuring Fury vs Usyk and Anthony Joshua vs Deontay Wilder on the same card. However, Fury’s promoter Frank Warren has now confirmed that the fight will be pushed back to January, the Mirror reports.
Warren said: “He will not be fighting on the Skill Challenge show in December because they’re talking about their show now being postponed until January.
“We have to make things happen, we can’t wait for people to make things happen. We tried to make it happen three times already this year with Usyk, contrary to all of the social media c***, and he didn’t want it.”
“If he’d have wanted it, the fight would’ve taken place. What he wants to do is wait and he thinks he’s getting his $70million in Saudi, and I understand that.
“I absolutely get that but stop the nonsense that the fight’s not happening because of Tyson. Tyson really wants to fight and we’ve gotta make it happen.”
Warren relayed Fury’s openness to crossover fights with MMA heavyweights Francis Ngannou and Jon Jones, both of whom have expressed interest in facing the Gypsy King.
“Yeah, he’s up for that,” said the promoter. “The type of money something like that could generate – why wait for people saying, ‘Wait until next year,’ when you can make these fights now. Why wouldn’t you do that now?” Warren added that Fury’s next fight would be a “game-changer.”
Both Jones and Ngannou have been keen on facing Fury following his crossover fight proposal. However, Jones would require permission from UFC president Dana White to enter the boxing ring due to his contractual obligations, while Ngannou is able to participate in boxing despite being under contract with the PFL as part of his agreement with the MMA promotion.
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