Oleksandr Usyk’s promoter, Alex Krassyuk, believes Tyson Fury will be making one of the biggest mistakes of his career should he not push for an undisputed fight to be made.
The two heavyweight title holders – Usyk with the WBO, IBF and WBA and Fury with the WBC – were in advanced talks to put everything on the line to crown the first four-belt champion of the division.
Usyk’s side ‘pulled the plug’ on those negotiations following financial disagreements and, as they put it, a series of unacceptable demands from Fury’s side.
Despite it ending on a sour note, Krassyuk told BT Sport that the fight is still on top of his list to make for Usyk.
“I would love to see it as a boxing fan. As Usyk’s promoter I would love to make it happen. As just a normal Ukrainian I would love my compatriot to become the undisputed champion in the second weight division. From our side, it’s only plus, plus, plus.”
The promoter went on to point out that beneath all of the demands and social media deadlines, Fury has an obligation to boxing fans. He believes that ignoring this would be a huge mistake.
“We know that Tyson Fury is a complex personality and it’s probably not a surprise for anyone, and we can see it on his behaviour within the last probably seven or ten years.
Yes, he is the champion. Yes, he has the right to do things that he wants to do. But at the end of the day, he is a professional boxer, and his main assignment is to perform for the boxing fans.
That is why I think if this fight does not take place, that would be one of the biggest mistakes that Tyson Fury could ever make in professional boxing career.”
It’s reported that the Middle East are still interested in staging the four-belt clash towards the end of the year, but the previous set of talks perhaps tells fans all they need to know about how optimistic they should be.
In the meantime, both champions must stay undefeated to hold onto their belts. For Usyk, that first test will come in the form of Daniel Dubois, whilst Fury is expected to announce his next move soon.