Tyson Fury has announced that his heavyweight fight with Oleksandr Usyk will be rescheduled for May 18. The boxer had to pull out of the initial date on February 17 due to a freak cut above his right eye.
Fury and Usyk were due to fight in a highly-anticipated duel in two weeks’ time. However, an announcement from Fury’s camp last week confirmed that event, which was due to take place in Saudi Arabia, is postponed until Fury’s wound has recovered.
The 35-year-old had been preparing for the bout in Saudi Arabia since December and maintains that he had been in good shape. That is despite concerns – which arose prior to his narrow victory over Francis Ngannou prior to Christmas – that not all was well in Fury’s camp.
Usyk’s team were frustrated by the postponement, prompting Saudi officials to intervene. In a fiery live chat hosted by YouTube channel The MMA Hour, Fury was joined by Saudi Arabia’s chairman of General Authority for Entertainment, Turki Al-Sheikh.
Al-Sheikh, who is also an advisor at the royal court, declared that the rescheduled fight will take place on May 18. The 42-year-old rubbished claims from Usyk’s team that Fury was being a “coward” declaring that he has postponed hospital appointments to ensure the fight goes ahead.
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