Tyson Fury refused late request ahead of Oleksandr Usyk rematch after controversial coin toss

In a twist worthy of a boxing drama, a coin toss has decided the third judge for the much-anticipated Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk fight happening tonight.

Initially set to be Gerardo Martinez from Puerto Rico and American judges Pat Morley and Fernando Barbosa, an unexpected twist due to Barbosa's illness led to a late change, resulting in Ignacio Robles of Panama and American Steve Weisfeld being considered as replacements.

After failing to reach a mutual decision, a representative from each fighter's camp witnessed a coin toss that determined Robles as the final judge – a notable development considering Usyk's team had earlier pushed for his selection alongside Martinez and Morley.

Before leaving it in the hands of fate, promoter Frank Warren discussed the dilemma with Sky Sports, advocating for the coin toss. He said: "There are two standby judges, both of them are flying in and we have got to decide which one of them it is going to be.

"We want one of them, Usyk's team want the other. So I have suggested we flip a coin."

Adding to the spectacle, Saudi boxing leader Turki Alalshikh announced an unprecedented move, introducing artificial intelligence into the ring on December 21 during the #Usyk2Fury event. Taking to social media, Alalshikh heralded the trial: "For the first time ever, an AI-powered judge will monitor the fight.

"Free from bias and human error brought to you by The Ring. This groundbreaking experiment, which won't impact the official results, debuts during the biggest fight of the century, #Usyk2Fury, on December 21."

Fury is set to step into the ring at his heaviest weight yet, weighing in at 281lb for Saturday's fight. His promoter, Warren, is building anticipation for the event, assuring fans of