Boxing news: Frank Warren addresses Oleksandr Usyk’s Saudi Arabia deal after Tyson Fury fight collapse
Heavyweight division continues to be at somethin of a gridlock
rank Warren believes talks over a potential fight between Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury broke down because the Ukrainian was holding out for a deal in Saudi Arabia.
After retaining his IBF, WBO and IBO heavyweight titles against Anthony Joshua last year, a big unification bout between Usyk and Fury had been mooted.
The heavyweight division has not a unified world champion since Lennox Lewis at the turn of the century but talks failed to reach a positive conclusion.
Fury, meanwhile, has called out long-term rival Joshua as the WBA, WBC and The Ring magazine champion looks to return to action for the first time since Derek Chisora in December.
Usyk will defend his titles against Daniel Dubois in Poland in August and recently signed up with Saudi Arabia’s Skill Challenge Entertainment as rumours of a sensational tournament in the Middle East continue.
Joshua is believed to be in line to face Deontay Wilder and attempts will reportedly be made to finally get the Fury vs Usyk fight over the line.
Promoter Warren, however, believes the idea of staging the fight in England earlier this year was never on the table for Usyk in the first place.
“I’ve been saying for ages, all Oleksandr Usyk is interested in is getting a big payday in Saudi Arabia,” he told talkSPORT.
“I don’t blame him for that. But don’t make it that Tyson Fury is the greedy person. That’s the reason he did not want to fight Fury in the UK.”