Tyson Fury’s unification fight with Oleksandr Usyk off as negotiations end

Tyson Fury’s world heavyweight title unification fight with Oleksandr Usyk is off after it emerged talks between the camps of the rival champions had broken down completely. Anthony Joshua, who lost his IBF, WBA and WBO belts to Usyk, and was defeated again by the Ukrainian in a rematch last summer, said the failure to make the bout was “crazy”.

Joshua also suggested that Fury’s unpredictable demands were to blame for the disappointing collapse of a contest that had promised to give boxing its first undisputed world heavyweight champion since Lennox Lewis in 1999 – when Lennox Lewis held the four major titles at the same time.

“Look at all the shit they are going through now with Usyk,” Joshua said as he reflected on the enduring chaos of the heavyweight division. “It’s just crazy. I don’t publicise things so it’s actually good that people are starting to see what goes on in negotiations. It’s good that they can actually see the shit that [boxers such as Usyk] have got to put up with to make a fight. Me and Usyk got two successful fights done.”

The British heavyweight, who makes his comeback a week on Saturday against Jermaine Franklin, endured a similar breakdown of two planned bouts with Fury in 2021 and again late last year. “As much as I like to entertain that gossip about the Fury situation,” Joshua said, “I have been there twice before and people don’t remember that. I was supposed to fight him before I fought Usyk the first time [in September 2021] and he pulled out due to his legal case, the court arbitration with Deontay Wilder [whom Fury then beat in their rematch that October]. Then we had the second [planned fight between Joshua and Fury] last December.”

Negotiations for that proposed bout soon evaporated