Oleksandr Usyk discusses his undisputed heavyweight title showdown against Tyson Fury in an exclusive interview with TNT Sports. The Ukrainian has suggested Fury’s injury – which postponed an initial February date for the fight – was genuine. Usyk also claims he feels as good as he did 12 years ago, when he won gold at the London 2012 Olympic Games.
Oleksandr Usyk has suggested Tyson Fury’s recent injury was genuine, joking that if the British superstar was performing “he deserves an Oscar”.
The undisputed heavyweight title showdown – live on TNT Sports Box Office on May 18 – has been a long time in the making. The pair have been on a collision course since the autumn of 2022, with a series of failed talks finally seeing a resolution in the last six months.
Usyk’s back-to-back wins over Anthony Joshua ensured he held the WBA, WBO, IBF and Ring Magazine titles, while Fury wrestled the WBC version from Deontay Wilder.
The introduction of Riyadh Season ensured the behemoth payday on offer to boxing’s glamour division was enough to lure all parties to the negotiating table, with Fury’s October 2023 bout against former UFC king Francis Ngannou seen as the perfect staging ground for a December fight announcement.
However, the ‘Gypsy King’ only snuck by the boxing novice with a controversial points win, and needed time to recuperate a bruised body and ego. February 17 was eventually set as the date of destiny.
Fury then pulled out with a fortnight’s notice, having suffered a cut just above his right eye in sparring. Some pundits and fans questioned the validity of the injury, and the confirmation of the rearranged fight came with a $10 million penalty if either man was to withdraw.
Reflecting on that period, Usyk told TNT Sports: “I was worried about Tyson Fury, that there might be injuries and that our fight might not take place. If he was performing, I think he deserves an Oscar.
“It has to happen because we have a contract. It’s a problem only for Tyson Fury. Tyson Fury signed a contract, so he has to fight.”
The victor next Saturday will be crowned the first undisputed heavyweight champion in a quarter of a century, while Usyk is eyeing more history as he aims to hold all four major belts in two divisions, having also cleaned up at cruiserweight. Terence Crawford and Naoya Inoue are the only two men to have achieved this feat, down at lighter weights.
It would cap off a remarkable career for the Ukrainian, whose amateur days saw him win a gold medal at the London Olympics 12 years ago. That was at heavyweight, at the same Games in which Joshua scooped the top prize at super-heavyweight.
Usyk still feels as sprightly as he did at 25. He continued: “I feel incredible, as good as I did at the 2012 Olympic Games. Just as young and energetic, with a big desire to move forward.
“It’s the most important fight of my career, my sports career and my sporting life. I want to say that my victory is the victory of the entire Ukrainian people, and defeat is personal. It has been an incredible journey. I can do anything now.”
Usyk, now 37, has fought just once since the Joshua rematch, in which he displayed an engine in the late rounds like never before. That victory – No. 21 in the pros overall – came against Daniel Dubois in August of last year, via a ninth-round knockout in Poland.