February (THEWILL) – The highly anticipated world heavyweight title unification fight between 35-year-old Briton, Tyson Fury and 37-year-old Ukrainian, Oleksandr Usyk, has been rescheduled to take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on May 18. The bout was originally scheduled for February 17 in Riyadh, but was postponed on Saturday, after Fury suffered a bad cut above his right eye during a sparring session.
Queensberry Promotions, Fury’s promoter, said the 6ft 9in “Gypsy King” was sparring with a Croatian heavyweight when an accidental elbow caught Fury, leaving him with a cut requiring “significant stitching”. The fight aims to unify Fury’s WBC heavyweight belt with Usyk’s WBA, IBF, WBO and IBO titles, crowning an undisputed world champion for the first time since 1999.
Both fighters head into the bout with undefeated professional records. Fury claimed his WBC strap by knocking out American, Deontay Wilder, in 2020. Usyk earned his titles after beating British fighter, Anthony Joshua, in London. Tickets purchased for the original February 17th date will be fully refunded, said Saudi organisers Riyadh Season.
A new date was quickly set after talks between both fighters’ camps, matching broadcasters in Britain and the United States, and organisers in the Saudi capital. Fury Vs Usyk will now headline Riyadh Season’s May entertainment calendar as the boxing world awaits this historic undisputed heavyweight title fight.
The showdown sees two of boxing’s slickest and most skilful heavyweight champions meet in a high-stakes battle. Their first encounter promises to be an intriguing styles clash with the 6ft 3in Usyk looking to overcome Fury’s height and reach advantages. Fight fans globally eagerly anticipate May 18 when the first four-belt heavyweight ruler since Lennox Lewis will finally be crowned.
About the Author
