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‘It’s on again, it’s off again’: Tyson Fury’s undisputed heavyweight clash with Oleksandr Usyk won’t be confirmed ‘anytime soon’, claims Gypsy King’s cousin and trainer Andy Lee…as he fears a showdown between the couple may be ‘too good to be true’
Tyson Fury’s much-vaunted showdown with Oleksandr Usyk could face further delays, according to the British heavyweight’s cousin and trainer.
The long-awaited clash, which would unify the heavyweight division, has seen a very ‘again, again’ buildup, Andy Lee claims, and boxing fans could be in for a huge disappointment.
He Mirror reports that the fight may not “happen soon,” and changes to the fight date will continue.
A February meeting had been discussed after Fury’s knockout victory over compatriot Derek Chisora, later pushed back further, with April 29 looking the most likely date.
And Lee expressed concern that the fight was “too good to be true,” and believed that there may not be a fight in the near future.
A fight between Tyson Fury (L) and Oleksandr Usyk (R) could be scheduled for another delay
Fury’s trainer and cousin Andy Lee believes the potential unification fight may be “too good to be true.”
“I haven’t seen much of Tyson recently,” Lee told the Mirror.
We were together all the time when Joseph Parker fought [last month]. We train before Christmas and after Christmas.
“I don’t have an update on the fight because I haven’t talked to him, but I don’t know, it’s on again, it’s off again, I don’t know. I don’t see it being done anytime soon, it seems too good to be true.
“There’s nothing I can say about it because I don’t know anything about it, but they need to fight each other.”
A fight between the top two fighters in the division is perhaps one of the most sought after matchups in the sport, and would make history regardless of the outcome.
Fury has a clear height and reach advantage, being around half a foot taller than Usyk, but the Ukrainian is widely regarded as one of the most skilled fighters in the sport.
And Fury has struggled in the past fighting rising cruiserweights, with Steve Cunningham putting him to the canvas in his American debut in 2013.
The Gypsy King eventually rallied and secured a seventh-round knockout, but there are some concerns that he could face similar problems against a much more skilled opponent.
Usyk is the current holder of the WBA, IBF and WBO belts, as well as the Ring magazine title.
The Gypsy King holds the WBC title after defeating American fighter Deontay Wilder in 2020
“I think it’s a tough fight for Tyson,” Lee admitted. “Obviously Deontay Wilder has the power, but in terms of technical ability, Usyk is very good.
“Obviously I support Tyson to win. Look how [the fight with Cunningham] finished, that’s what’s going to happen in this one.
‘Tyson could fight him southpaw, try to box him. And if that doesn’t work, Tyson can attack him and eventually wear him down. He is too big, too strong and has all the attributes, all the advantages.’
The clash would unify the division for the first time since Lennox Lewis beat Evander Holyfield in 1999.
The Gypsy King is the current holder of the WBC title, which he has held since his 2020 win over American Deontay Wilder, and the Ukrainian each holds the WBA, IBF and WBO belts.
A clash between the two heavyweights would go down as one of the most anticipated clashes in the history of the sport.