Oleksandr Usyk instant reaction to Tyson Fury fight cancellation speaks volumes

Oleksandr Usyk had a revealing reaction after discovering that Tyson Fury had withdrawn from their first major fight earlier this year. In May, the Ukrainian boxer became the first undisputed heavyweight champion of the world in 25 years by defeating Fury, following in the footsteps of Lennox Lewis who accomplished the same feat in 1999.

Usyk was the first man to defeat 'The Gypsy King', winning by split decision in Saudi Arabia. The match was originally scheduled for three months earlier, with Riyadh set as the venue for a February 17 fight.

However, it had to be postponed after Fury sustained an unexpected cut above his eye during training, just two weeks before the planned bout. Usyk later shared how he found out that his opponent had withdrawn, providing a glimpse into the mindset of a champion.

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Upon learning that the original plan had been scrapped, the 37-year-old said he simply smiled and returned to the ring for a sparring session. "My reaction was just to smile," he stated.

"I am training after my sparring my team told me that Tyson Fury was cut. After that, I just smiled and went back to training."

Usyk's promoter Alex Krassyuk added that he wasn't surprised by the fighter's response, telling Boxing News: "His mentality is stronger than concrete, stronger than iron, stronger than a stone."

"If such small things like this can break him then you can't call him undisputed. He's not like that. He said it was expected, that's what he said. Now he relies on his team to work on his behalf and to work out a good solution,