One slicing elbow, 15 stitches, and a gushing cut later resulted in the boxing world’s heartbreak as Tyson Fury’s scheduled heavyweight unification bout versus Oleksandr Usyk on February 17 in Saudi Arabia was canceled.
What Happened?
the elbow that cut Fury ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/R1p7Uej8xk
— Spinnin Backfist (@SpinninBackfist) February 2, 2024
The injury, obtained during a sparring session, sent the internet into a frenzy with a compilation of conspiracies, devasted fans, and, of course, trolls!
More than most, however, was the sheer anger displayed by the public. And to be honest, I’m not surprised. It isn’t the first time, but now, a trio of occasions where the British heavyweight king has pulled out of the fight with Usyk.
“Remove the belts from Tyson Fury, he’s an embarrassment,” one fan wrote on X (Formerly Twitter).
Another commented: “Not surprised at all – Fury is done, this fight will never happen.”
An initial encounter at Wembley Stadium was shrugged off last April before Fury and Usyk verbally agreed for it to take place on December 23, for it to be postponed following ‘The Gypsy Kings’ embarrassing performance against Francis Ngannou.
Most of the hate is rather unjust, but the memes are hilarious.
Fury getting that cut. pic.twitter.com/ESTSweje8t https://t.co/iRyMnKoPWr
— ًًً (@ibzsmo3k) February 2, 2024
Fury’s Position
The man himself had few words to share regarding the situation; “I am absolutely devastated after preparing for this fight for so long and being in such superb condition,” Fury said. “I feel bad for everyone involved in this huge event, and I will work diligently towards the rescheduled date once the eye has healed.”
Whether the proverb ‘Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me’ reigns true in this situation, we can’t deny that the cut was nasty.
What Now?
However, all is not lost yet.
A new date of May 18, 2024, has been set. Furthermore, Alalshikh, chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority, who’s hosting the fight, has proclaimed that if either fighter pulls out, they’ll have to pay a $10 million fine.
Usyk, however, isn’t taking any chances on Fury’s reliability. The Ukrainian’s promoter, Alex Krassyuk, has guaranteed his champion will fight on May 18, with or without Fury.
The alleged replacement for Fury would be mandatory challenger Filip Hrgovic, and although a deal hasn’t been signed, it’s apparently in the works.
And when (or if) this fight happens, don’t forget to check out the best boxing betting sites before you go and put all your money on this anticipated fight.
Egis @KlimasBoxing reveals it was Team Usyk that insisted on a $10m penalty for either fighter that pulls out of the new #FuryUsyk date. 💰
Full interview: https://t.co/1YaTIXpw5N pic.twitter.com/agEg5OcRfr
— Boxing News+ (@BoxingNewsPlus) February 7, 2024
