Usyk vs Fury 2 fight set for major shake-up after last minute change following coin toss
- Fury and Usyk meet in their highly anticipated rematch on Saturday evening
- A last-minute change has been made to the heavyweight title showdown
A coin toss has decided who will be the replacement judge for Tyson Fury’s rematch with Oleksandr Usyk.
A last minute change had to be made ahead of the heavyweight showdown in Riyadh after one official had to withdraw due to illness.
Fernando Barbosa of Miami was not well enough to travel to the Middle East and join the other two judges, American Patrick Morley and Puerto Rican Gerardo Martinez.
Two backup officials, Steve Weisfeld and Ignacio Robles, were then brought in to serve as potential replacements.
However, the two camps could not agree on who would join the jury team on Saturday evening.
After discussions reached an impasse, Fury’s promoter Frank Warren decided suggested that a coin toss would settle the matter.
Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk meet in their highly anticipated rematch on Saturday evening
The subsequent coin toss determined that Panamanian Robles would serve as judge.
Warren told Sky Sports: ‘One of the judges has been angry about the three that had been decided.
‘There are two standby judges, they both fly in and we have to decide which one it will be.
“We want one and the other side wants the other, so I suggested we flip a coin.”
‘This will be resolved. Use a little common sense, and actually both camps are very professional and know what to do.’
Fury and Usyk clashed in Saudi Arabia in May in one of the biggest fights of all time.
Usyk became the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world, with the Ukrainian earning the victory via a split-decision verdict from the three judges.
Miami’s Fernando Barbosa wasn’t good enough to judge the fight and has been replaced
Saudi boxing power broker Turki Alalshikh announced plans earlier this week for an additional judge to score the rematch.
Alalshikh said the AI-powered judge will judge the match as part of an experiment, but his judgment will not affect the official result.
“For the first time ever, an AI-powered judge will monitor the fight,” Alalshikh said.
‘Free from prejudice and human error, brought to you by The Ring.
“This groundbreaking experiment, which will have no impact on the official results, will debut during the biggest fight of the century, #Usyk2Fury, on December 21st.
‘Don’t miss history in the making.’
Alalshikh shared a video promoting the judge, saying: “For years, boxing has been defined by its glory, but sometimes that glory is clouded by doubt and controversy. Isn’t it time for honesty to enter the ring?
Saudi boxing power broker Turki Alalshikh announced plans for a ‘groundbreaking experiment’
The promotion added: ‘This isn’t just AI, it’s revolutionizing boxing. It’s fairness, powered by technology and human expertise. Watch the revolution unfold on December 21.”
In the first fight, Usyk was awarded the match by two judges, who scored the match 115-112, 114-113 in his favor.
The third judge had given Fury the verdict with a score of 114-113.
Fury and Usyk meet in a 12-round rematch at the Kingdom Arena on Saturday night as the Gypsy King looks to bounce back from his only defeat of professional boxing career.
HOW TO WATCH: Click to register and watch Usyk vs. Fury 2 on DAZN here