Frank Warren denies that Tyson Fury broke rules against Oleksandr Usyk as promoter slams ‘bulls***’ claims
- Tyson Fury was accused of breaking the rules in his second fight with Usyk
- Frank Warren shared his thoughts on the complaint, calling it ‘bulls***’
- Fury suffered his second career defeat, losing to Usyk by unanimous decision
Frank Warren denied claims that Tyson Fury broke rules during his fight with Oleksandr Usyk on December 21.
The Brit lost his first fight with Usyk via split decision last May and failed to avenge his only career setback in their second match.
Fury lost 116-112 on all three judges’ scorecards after an enthralling showdown in Saudi Arabia, leaving his dream of stripping his Ukrainian rival of his WBA, WBC and WBO titles in tatters.
A journalist afterwards suggested that Fury’s shorts were worn too high, which is against International Boxing Association (IBA) rules.
The IBA states that shorts should be loose-fitting and reach mid-thigh, or no lower than the knees. The waistband should also be slightly raised so that opponents cannot hit in the groin.
Promoter Frank Warren broke his silence on the issue and denounced the ‘bulls***’ accusations.
Tyson Fury was accused of wearing his shorts too high during his fight with Oleksandr Usyk
Frank Warren, Fury’s promoter, dismissed the claim of ‘bulls***’ and insisted no rules had been broken
The 36-year-old lost by unanimous decision as all three judges’ scorecards read 116-112
“One of the journalists talking about him wearing his shorts down below his nipples… nonsense,” he told Box Nation.
‘The referee came into the dressing room before the fight. The way he wore them was legal.”
“Have you heard a complaint about that from the other side? Nothing at all,” he added, explaining that the complaint wasn’t even filed by Usyk’s team.
“Some idiot in there who doesn’t know anything about boxing comes out with that and it’s just, I don’t know, I just think it’s ridiculous some of this stuff.”
Ahead of the fight, questions were also raised about whether Fury’s facial hair breached IBA rules on permitted beard lengths, as the 36-year-old donned a fresh look in Riyadh. The IBA states that beards may not be longer than 10 centimeters.
Unlike the controversy over the length of his shorts, the length of Fury’s facial hair was disputed by Usyk’s team.
Warren dismissed the complaint as “a non-issue” and “a load of c**p.”
Fury was cleared of both rule violations by sanctioning authorities before the fight.