Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk is looking unlikely to take place in December. Simon Jordan claims he has heard on good authority that there is ‘no way’ Fury is fighting in the proposed timeframe.
Saudi promotional outfit Skills Challenge Promotions are hoping to stage a blockbuster night of heavyweight boxing in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia at the back end of the year including bouts between Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder as well as the long-awaited undisputed fight. However, Jordan has revealed on talkSPORT that the latter won’t take place this year.
“I’m being told that there’s no way Tyson Fury’s fighting in Saudi in December,” he said. “And that there’s a long way between this fight being made. There’s no offers been made.
“Now, those offers can be made relatively quickly, but they haven’t been made. Discussions are ongoing, but I’ve been told by relatively reliable sources that this is not happening in December, this will not happen in December.”
Hearn recently disclosed that Joshua vs Wilder is close to being signed with meetings set to take place in London this week to finalise the paperwork. There have been no such updates from Fury’s side regarding a deal with Usyk.
“We’re looking to stage meetings in London next week to finalise the deal. We believe in Prince Khalid and Skills Challenge in terms of their desire to make the fight,” he told Boxing News.
“It’s always slow but next week there are meetings in London to close the deal for Joshua-Wilder. Usyk’s in obviously, Wilder has never made that kind of money, he’s in. Skills Challenge know the money we’ve made to fight Ruiz and Usyk.
“So, if they bear that in mind we’re in and then there is Fury and I can’t speak for Fury but I think if the money’s right then I’m sure he’s in. But what’s the right money? I’m sure everyone has their different ideas.”
Fury and Usyk were set to face each other in April at Wembley Stadium but negotiations fell through at the eleventh hour over the purse split for their proposed rematch. According to ESPN’s Mike Coppinger, Usyk wanted the 70-30 split for their first fight to be reversed in the event of a victory while Fury was unwilling to compromise on anything greater than an even share which angered Usyk and Co. They later pulled out of discussions as a result.