Despite the public demands, annoyed parties and missed deadlines, Frank Warren has announced that Tyson Fury versus Oleksandr Usyk is going ahead for the undisputed heavyweight championship.
The fight seems unlikely for April 29 at Wembley Stadium, but the hall of fame promoter is setting out to prove any doubters wrong.
He told IFL TV in no uncertain terms that, despite reports of no signed contract and a continued back and forth between teams, the fight was happening
“This fight’s gonna happen. I don’t want to get into [deadlines] it’s irrelevant. It’s all totally f***ing i-re-le-vant. The fight is happening. End of story.”
“I’m announcing the fight’s happening. What more can I say? It’s happening, boys. And that’s it. Don’t worry.”
Warren was unfazed by the tight schedule, claiming that the day the tickets go on sale they’ll be gone in no time. As for Fury’s training, the promoter said he ‘was a top professional’ who would have plenty of time to get prepared.
Warren has remained more confident than most throughout the negotiations, and that bodes well considering he’s at the centre of it all.
Fury’s latest message was goading Usyk’s team about their short end of the stick in terms of financial split after they said that the 70/30 deal will only apply if the fight can be made for April 29.
Warren expects the event to break records at Wembley Stadium, and the tense negotiations have certainly served to hype it up.
Strip all that away, though, and there’s a legacy-defining clash to crown the first four-belt undisputed champion in boxing’s top division.
Fans will hope Warren sticks to his word so that they can see two elite operators put undefeated records on the line to make history.