Former WBC Cruiserweight champion, Tony Bellew has offered his opinion in light of recent news that Oleksandr Usyk has accepted a 70/30 split in Tyson Fury’s favour for their undisputed heavyweight title fight.
Bellew is one of only two men to have fought Usyk for an undisputed title to date, sharing the ring in 2018 where the proud Evertonian was defeated by eight-round knockout, in what was to be the final fight of his career.
In an interview with iFL TV, Bellew sympathised with the unified champion and admitted that if he was in the Ukrainian’s position, he would not ben entertaining Fury’s demands.
“I feel for Oleksandr, I really do. How are you having three belts in one division and then you are bowing down and selling yourself short? He has answered his questions and he is doing it, so fair play to him. If this fight doesn’t happen, it is only down to one man, isn’t it? I keep hearing that he wants to fight Francis Ngannou, I’m not surprised he wants to fight Francis Ngannou, because Francis Ngannou has never been in a boxing ring before. Just fight Oleksandr Usyk, mate. Put boxing first.”
“60/40 would have been fair, do you think a 70/30 is fair when you have got three belts and the other man has got one? Has that happened in the history of boxing before, like that?”
“He is the lead name, but 70/30, he’s taking the p**s. If I was him [Usyk] I wouldn’t bend to that, but it is what it is and you have just got to get on with it.”
Negotiations remain in progress, with Tyson Fury now attempting to remove any rematch clause from the contract. As the proposed fight date of April 29 edges closer, it looks as if talks will go down to the wire.