Promoter Eddie Hearn believes that Oleksandr Usyk versus Tyson Fury for the undisputed heavyweight championship is a ‘mismatch’ following the Brit’s performance against MMA star Francis Ngannou.
Ngannou dropped Fury in round three of his professional boxing debut, appearing to hurt the WBC champion on one or two more occasions before ultimately losing a split decision after ten rounds. Many in the sport feel that he deserved the win.
Regardless, it wasn’t a great look for Fury, who was tipped to win handily. He had previously promised to knock the challenger out quickly.
A ‘baffled’ Eddie Hearn – who once held tentative talks with Ngannou to face his charge Anthony Joshua – told Boxing Social that ‘The Gypsy King’ should have lost the fight.
“I’m baffled really. I can’t believe it. Firstly I feel Ngannou was robbed. He scored the knockdown and nobody actually did anything in the fight, the fight was a stinker, but Ngannou won the fight.
You’re talking about a guy who has never boxed before and respect to him because he was better than I thought but Fury looked like he had never put on a pair of boxing gloves before. I don’t know whether he’s shot, he didn’t train, he’s thinking about the Usyk fight, he was absolutely awful.”
The promoter had backed Fury to end the crossover contest whenever he wanted before the fact, but now says that his performance was so poor it takes any intrigue from an already-signed undisputed fight with Oleksandr Usyk. He would instead like Joshua and Fury to face off.
“Let AJ go in there an end his career please or Ngannou has earned the right for a big fight, let AJ go in and knock Ngannou out inside three rounds not a problem. Forget about Fury-Usyk, dead fight, nobody is interested in that fight at all. Ngannou won thee fight by two rounds.
I don’t know if his punch resistance is still there, if the Wilder fight took something out of him. I’ve told you before AJ beats Tyson Fury every day of the week, he will knock him out inside six rounds. Scrap everything and just make Fury against AJ now and I’m telling you AJ will beat him comfortably and stop him and finish his career. Usyk-Fury is a mismatch and nobody wants to see it.”
Usyk entered the ring post-fight and his four-belt bout with Fury is still expected to be next, although the date of December 23 looks unlikely given Fury picked up a small cut and more damage than was expected.