Usyk’s team confirms rematch with Fury: “We are men of our word”
Usyk’s promoter, Alex Krassyuk, says ‘The Cat’ will fight Fury again if the Brit is interested in a rematch, as agreed on their contract.
Tyson Fury will have the chance to fight for the undisputed heavyweight crown again if he finally decides to take on Oleksandr Usyk again.
Both fighters agreed to meet in a rematch when they signed their contracts to meet in the ring, but sometimes, that doesn’t mean that terms and conditions will necessarily be met in boxing and sports in general. However, it won’t be the case for Fury and Usyk, as the Ukrainian’s promoter, Alex Krassyuk, revealed they will respect the rematch clause in their contract to see both men battle it out again.
“We are men of our word. It’s not about paperwork, if we shake hands and promise something, we do it. I see no reason for the rematch not to take place,” said Krassyuk to Boxing King Media.
Usyk, the first boxer to become the undisputed champion in the four-belt era, got the judges’ favor after a brilliant ninth round. The former cruiserweight king hurt Fury with several punches and the referee gave him the count, with the Brit being saved by the bell.
Does Fury want an immediate rematch with Usyk?
After tasting defeat for the first time in his professional career, Fury stated he believed he did enough to get his hand raised, but also admitted that Usyk had had a good performance.
Asked about a potential rematch, the Manchester native said he needs to spend some time with his family and take a break from the sport, but added that he wants to take on Usyk again next.
Considering Usyk is probably the most talented fighter he has ever faced and that the Brit wants to fight Anthony Joshua before hanging up the gloves, some pundits believe The Gipsy King could offer the Ukrainian a step-aside deal to fight him after facing ‘AJ’.
Did the ref save Fury against Usyk?
Controversy over the count Fury was given after the ref called it a knockdown is still a matter of discussion. Usyk’s cutman Russ Anber, believes it was a longer count than expected and the fact Fury had a few seconds to recover helped him survive and keep fighting.
“It was a long count, wasn’t it? It was also a little bit of a borderline. Mark Nelson called it a knockdown when Tyson fell into the ropes. Do you call that a knockdown? Saying he was up. Well, the ropes held him up. You keep fighting. It’s not like he was entangled in the ropes”, he said.
“So, perhaps if he doesn’t call a knockdown, Usyk can finish the job. Calling it a knockdown, which is great, bought him [Fury] the time he needed [to recover]. You get the eight count, ‘Step this way, put your hands up. Are you ready to go?’ He didn’t respond at first. He took his time, and remember when Michael Griffin stopped Anthony [Joshua] in New York [for his first fight against Andy Ruiz in 2019] when he didn’t respond by putting his hands up, they could have done the same thing”, he added.
Now it’s up to Fury to accept the rematch and get into the ring with the 2012 Olympic gold medalist again. A second loss to Fury could tarnish Fury’s legacy, but he didn’t seem too bothered after the fight. If the money is right, the Brit will likely take on Usyk again, with the belts on the line in a unique chance for the Brit to get back to the top.