‘When a fighter doesn’t want to fight, he asks for the impossible’: Oleksandr Usyk’s promoter Alex Krassyuk admits Tyson Fury’s title fight is at RISK due to the Gypsy King’s financial demands
- Oleksandr Usyk’s promoter says Tyson Fury is being too financially demanding
- Usyk and Fury are in negotiations for an undisputed heavyweight title fight
- However, they are struggling to agree on the finances of the fight.
Oleksandr Usyk’s promoter Alex Krassyuk says the Ukrainian’s undisputed heavyweight title fight with Tyson Fury risks failing due to the financial demands of the Gypsy King.
Usyk and Fury have spent the past few months negotiating the terms of the fight, which will unify the division for the first time since Lennox Lewis beat Evander Holyfield in 1999.
However, Krassyuk says the two heavyweight boxers are a long way from agreeing on the terms of the historic fight as they are struggling to agree on finances.
Krassyuk said Boxing i.D.: ‘I can only tell you from the words I hear from my negotiators, my partners Frank and George Warren. According to his reports, Tyson Fury was asking for too much money.
Added Krassyuk: “Even if Oleksandr Usyk got zero for the fight, it still wouldn’t be enough for Tyson to cover his [demands].
Oleksandr Usyk’s promoter Alex Krassyuk says the Ukrainian’s undisputed heavyweight title fight with Tyson Fury is in jeopardy because of money.
Fury (left) and Usyk (right) are still aiming for an April 29 fight, but there is “a long way to go to reach an agreement that financially satisfies both men.”
Boxing fans around the world are eager for an agreement to be reached between Fury, the current holder of the WBC title, and Usyk, the current holder of the WBA, WBO and IBF belts.
“Normally, when a fighter doesn’t want to fight, he asks for the impossible and then it doesn’t happen. That is from my experience. I have been in boxing for almost 20 years and that is what I have seen so many times.
“When you’re looking for an opponent for your fighter and you find a suitable option, and he doesn’t want to come, he says: ‘pay me 100 instead of five’.”
His comments came shortly after Eddie Hearn slammed Fury for being “greedy” and demanding too much money for the fight.
Speaking to IFL TV, Hearn said: ‘When are they going to start to understand? “It’s not about the money” “I’ll fight it for free” “As long as tickets are free to the general public.”
Fuck off. You want money. You want too much money. You are not the drawing you think you are. That fight isn’t as big as you think it is.
‘Everyone talks about big fights in the Middle East for world heavyweight championships, but guess what, there’s only one person who has put up big fights in the Middle East and that’s Moi.
‘Okay, three fights. Three world heavyweight championships. Two in Saudi Arabia and also the big card in Abu Dhabi. He is all about greed. If yours is legacy and you want to be undisputed, then you take the fight. So he’ll get £50 or £60 million instead of the £80 or £100 or £125 million he asked for.
‘Fuck me. All of you have been deceived for all these years. But, focus on one thing. April 1st. The O2 stadium. AJ is back against Jermaine Franklin.
‘He has never dodged anyone. He has always wanted the fights. He fought against all these people in progression. I never told Porky Pies. I never went on social media and said I’m going to give away all my money. F*** right away. Get behind Anthony Joshua.
Asked if he thought the Fury vs. Usyk fight would actually happen, Hearn said: ‘I mean, maybe! If you really want the fight. You have to make concessions. Fury is right that he is the biggest draw, but now I’ll tell you something.
Eddie Hearn lashed out at the ‘Gypsy King’ for economic demands made in the negotiations
“When Tyson Fury tied Wilder and he didn’t have a world championship belt, we offered him 60/40 to fight Anthony Joshua as a volunteer challenger. Not as a mandatory challenger.
“But he came back and said he would only fight 50/50. At the time, AJ was the much bigger draw. He was the unified heavyweight champion of the world and Tyson Fury had no belts. The fight did not happen.
“Fury is worth more than 50/50 in this fight, but if you want to be the first undisputed heavyweight world champion since Lennox Lewis, then it’s 50/50.
‘If Oleksandr Usyk is a bit medium and not good, then it’s easy money. But he knows how good Usyk is. When are you going to wake up? It’s not about legacy. Some people care about legacy and some people don’t care about legacy. I care about the legacy.