Home Columns Eddie Hearn blames Tyson Fury for Oleksandr Usyk fight delay

Eddie Hearn blames Tyson Fury for Oleksandr Usyk fight delay

Fury-Usyk negotiations ongoing for undisputed heavyweight title clash

Eddie Hearn believes Tyson Fury is asking for too much money to face Oleksandr Usyk Photo Credit: Ed Mulholland/Matchroom/Mikey Williams/Top Rank via Getty Images
Eddie Hearn believes Tyson Fury is asking for too much money to face Oleksandr Usyk Photo Credit: Ed Mulholland/Matchroom/Mikey Williams/Top Rank via Getty Images

Eddie Hearn believes that Tyson Fury’s financial demands are preventing an undisputed heavyweight title showdown with Oleksandr Usyk.

Fury and Usyk are in negotiations to crown the first four-belt heavyweight title holder, but talks seems to have stalled with Fury’s promoter Frank Warren insisting a decision must be made by the end of this week.

A lucrative clash in Saudi Arabia appears to now be off the table with Wembley Stadium appearing to be the frontrunner should the pair seal a meeting on April 29.

Usyk’s promoter Alex Krassyuk told talkSPORT that WBC champion, Fury, who was confronted by the 36-year-old after beating Derek Chisora in December, rejected an offer which would have seen the victor bank 60% of the overall split.

Speaking ahead of his show in Liverpool on Saturday, the Matchroom Chairman claimed ‘The Gypsy King’ is at fault for the lack of progress in discussions.

Warren says time is running out for a deal between Fury and Usyk to be reached Photo Credit: Queensberry Promotions
Warren says time is running out for a deal between Fury and Usyk to be reached Photo Credit: Queensberry Promotions

“Anthony Joshua fought Oleksandr Usyk back-to-back no f***ing problems,” Hearn told IFLTV.

“No questions. No long negotiations.

‘That’s my mandatory? I’ll fight him.’

Fury battered Chisora to a tenth round stoppage at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in their third fight Photo Credit: Queensberry Promotions
Fury battered Chisora to a tenth round stoppage at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in their third fight Photo Credit: Queensberry Promotions

“Everyone said swerve Usyk, he’s a tough tough fight, you don’t want to fight him, AJ said ‘no, I want to be undisputed, give me Usyk’. Done.

“The rematch comes in, you don’t want to fight Usyk, you need a warm up fight, ‘give me Usyk’.

Usyk confronted Fury at ringside after his win over Chisora Photo Credit: Queensberry Promotions
Usyk confronted Fury at ringside after his win over Chisora Photo Credit: Queensberry Promotions

“When are you guys going to start understanding.

‘It’s not about the money, I’ll fight him for free, and make the tickets free for the general public’. F**k Off! You want money, you want too much money, you’re not the draw you think you are.

“That fights not as big as you think it is.”

Joshua faces Franklin at the O2 Arena on April 1 Photo Credit: Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing
Joshua faces Franklin at the O2 Arena on April 1 Photo Credit: Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing

Hearn promoted Usyk’s last two fights against Anthony Joshua, which saw the Ukrainian claim the unified heavyweight world titles before defending them in a rematch in Saudi Arabia in August.

Joshua returns on April 1 against Jermaine Franklin in a must-win clash at the O2 Arena, his first non-world title bout in over seven years.