Tyson Fury has admitted he is not confident that his long-awaited undisputed heavyweight showdown with Oleksandr Usyk will take place, despite reports of a potential Saudi Arabia blockbuster in December. The Gypsy King had been expected to face Usyk at Wembley Stadium in April, but negotiations collapsed over rematch terms after the Ukrainian agreed to a 30% purse split.
Fury, 34, dismissed speculation linking him to various opponents, including a proposed Saudi event that could also feature Anthony Joshua against Deontay Wilder. 'I hear all these names being chucked around but I don’t pay any heed to them until I’m actually in the ring with them,' he said. 'I’m not very optimistic about any of the names until I’m actually in with them.'
With time running out for a summer fight, promoter Frank Warren admitted finding an opponent has become difficult. A proposed bout with Andy Ruiz Jr fell through due to the Mexican's financial demands, while Zhilei Zhang is off the table after Joe Joyce activated his rematch clause. Daniel Dubois is also unavailable, as he pursues a WBA-mandated title shot against Usyk.
Warren told Boxing News: 'I want to get him out whatever happens and get back in the swing of things. It’s just a bloody shame we wasted so much time [on the Usyk fight].' Fury is still expected to fight in the UK this summer, though no opponent has been confirmed.
