Tony Bellew and Frank Warren are both calling for fans to give credit one of the two fighters who may step in the ring to crown an undisputed heavyweight champion – Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk.
The two belt holders in the division are deep in negotiations to face off on April 29, with the likelihood that the fight goes ahead swinging back and forth by the day.
If it does happen, former cruiserweight world champion and Usyk opponent, Bellew, believes the Ukrainian deserves all the credit and that he’s accepted a low purse split ‘for the good of boxing.’ He praised the fighter on TalkSPORT.
“Oleksandr Usyk has sold himself well short. He’s bowed to every demand and I think it’s crazy that he’s done that, but it is what it is.”
“He’s done it for the good of boxing and he’s done it for the bettering of his country and that’s the kind of man he is, I’ve faced him, I know all about him.”
Fury’s promoter, on the other hand, has called on fans to appreciate Fury. Warren said that his fighter ‘doesn’t duck anybody’ and compared his attitude to that of the heavyweight greats.
“Everyone wants to see the fight. Everybody should take their hat off to Tyson Fury because he’s the only heavyweight since going back to those great glory days of Ali, Foreman and Frazier that has fought the best around of the generations he’s been in.
“Now he’s stepping up to the guy who has had two wins over Joshua and has three belts. You have to take your hat off to Tyson, we talk about Lennox Lewis, but he never fought Riddick Bowe, never fought Mike Tyson until he was well past his best.”
“He’s a megastar and I’m delighted for him. People should acknowledge in him we’ve got a fighter who doesn’t duck anybody.”
At whose door the praise falls might not matter in the end, as the latest set of talks have seen the two fighters publicly arguing about the inclusion of a rematch clause for the loser.
Usyk’s latest message to Fury was simple: sign the contract of vacate your belt.