Fury dropped out of his undisputed heavyweight world title bout with Oleksandr Usyk after sustaining a cut above his right eye during sparring last week.
Oleksandr Usyk has warned Tyson Fury that he would have to play by his rules from now on.
Next weekend, in Saudi Arabia, Usyk and Fury were scheduled to square off for the undisputed heavyweight championship. However, Fury had to withdraw two weeks prior to the opening bell due to a cut above his right eye, which resulted in the fight being rescheduled for May 18. After missing the birth of his fourth kid during his training camp, Usyk had taken a tough stance when it came to the rescheduling.
“He said, ‘I’m not judging anyone. However, the reality is that this needs to be taken more seriously because it’s crucial, and we need to exercise caution. This needs to be handled professionally. Respect for our opponent must be our first priority during every minute spent in the ring.
Usyk, who is from in the Valencia region of Spain, was present in the ring last Friday when Fury withdrew from their bout. “I was in the ring when this news broke, having just finished the last round of our 12-round sparring. “Camp manager Sergey Lapin approached me with a smile on his face, but he seemed uneasy,” he continued.
“When he informed me that we had news, I grinned and returned to the boxing bag training. This smile is from the bottom of my heart and is not dedicated to Tyson Fury or anyone else. I feel better and more liberated when I grin. You’ll realise how wonderful life is if you make an effort to smile without cause.”
Usyk also made hints that Fury hadn’t prepared himself well for their sparring match in Saudi Arabia. “Very skilled fighters have adopted certain tactics. Typically, you wear a headpiece and large gloves—perhaps 20 oz. on prevent cuts and injuries, apply Vaseline on your mask, gloves, and eyebrows. You are acting disrespectfully towards the people involved, endangering the event, and handling this differently than a professional would,” he remarked.
