Oleksandr Usyk vs. Daniel Dubois | TNT Sports PPV - 26 August 2023

[Ruthless-RKO]

With all the break down talks.

I'm still holding out for the WBA deadline to be honest.

But Klimas saying Usyk will care of his mandatories.

This should be next..

Shame Usyk won't be out til Summer though.

Thoughts.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Sources: Oleksandr Usyk, Tyson Fury break off talks for title bout

Talks to finalize the undisputed heavyweight championship fight between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk on April 29 at London's Wembley Stadium have broken off, sources connected to both fighters told ESPN.

The sides agreed on a 70-30 split in favor of Fury for the net revenue earlier this month, but Fury and Usyk couldn't agree on other material terms critical to the deal beyond the split, sources said. Usyk, a 35-year-old Ukrainian, has shut down his training camp, according to sources, and will regroup with his team to plot his next fight.

"No matter how much Usyk compromised, he was pushed for more," Usyk's manager, Egis Klimas, told boxing reporter Steve Kim, who first reported that talks had fallen apart.

Usyk holds the WBA, WBO and IBF heavyweight titles and is ranked No. 2 by ESPN at heavyweight. Fury, the WBC champion, is ESPN's No. 1 heavyweight. Three mandatory challengers are waiting for their shot at Usyk, but England's Daniel Dubois is up first in the rotation system used for boxing's unified champions.

Ahead of the March 10 deadline imposed by the WBA for Fury and Usyk to agree to a deal -- and hold off the official order for an Usyk-Dubois bout that would spoil such plans to crown an undisputed champion -- the sides both informed WBA president Gilberto Mendoza that a tentative agreement was reached.

Fury and Usyk continued to argue over the negotiations on social media before Mendoza set an April 1 deadline for signed contracts to be received. Now, the WBA is poised to order a fight between Usyk and Dubois unless a last-ditch effort can be made to salvage a fight against Fury.

"They want 50%, Usyk and all this 'Tyson is being greedy,'" Fury, ESPN's No. 7 pound-for-pound boxer, said in an Instagram video March 10. "From where I'm standing, Usyk, you and your team are worth 30. You either take it or you leave it. And if you don't want it, go fight Daniel Dubois at the Copper Box [Arena in London] and get a few million dollars.

"If you want to make some real money, come and fight 'The Gypsy King.' ... I will say, for every day from today that you linger, mess around, I'm going to deduct 1% from the 30%. ... Sign the contract, get your money and get f---ed up. ... Tick, tock."

As part of the deal, Usyk asked Fury to donate $1 million to relief efforts in Ukraine as the country continues to defend itself from Russia's invasion. The fight, one of the biggest boxing can deliver, was set to be offered on ESPN pay-per-view in the U.S., sources said.

"Hey greedy belly, I accept your offer, 70/30 split to fight on April 29 at Wembley," Usyk, ESPN's No. 3 pound-for-pound boxer, wrote on Instagram that same day. "But you will promise to donate 1 million pounds to Ukraine immediately after the fight. And for every day of your delay, you will pay 1 % from your purse to Ukrainian people. Deal?"

Fury (33-0-1, 24 KOs), 34, last fought in December with a 10th-round TKO of Derek Chisora to retain his heavyweight title. Before that, he stopped Dillian Whyte in six rounds in April 2022.

Usyk (20-0, 13 KOs), 36, won his three titles by defeating Anthony Joshua via unanimous decision in September 2021. He retained his unified championship with a split-decision win in the August rematch.

A Fury-Usyk matchup would crown boxing's first undisputed heavyweight champion in the four-belt era.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Hopefully, this will end any more 'regular' or 'interim' wba belts.

[ashall2]

Doubt Dubois would even land a glove on him.

[deadpan]

I think Dubois will defend his bauble for a few more times against low hanging fruit with flattering records. I reckon FW will only be prepared for him to lose against someone he's got ties with.

[Frostieballs]

Dubois would look like a mummy trying to catch a slippery rabbit

[tigermoth87]

Tyson Fanny is an embarrassment to boxing.

[joshj909]

I think Dubois would look lost in there

[jameswilson]

Dubois will get maimed.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Poor Dubs.

He looks lost in the ring with poor opposition. How will he look against Usyk

[Ruthless-RKO]

Usyk's promoter said negotiations will begin next week.

[tonyevs]

I wonder if fWank will be happy for Dubois to take 30% or less?

Usyk should be pushing for a Saudi site to negate the UK home advantage too.

Hopefully Usyk makes good money.

[The Gratest]

Ah well, at last some serious stuff and 2 boxers who actually do want to fight.

[joshj909]

I wonder if fWank will be happy for Dubois to take 30% or less?

Usyk should be pushing for a Saudi site to negate the UK home advantage too.

Hopefully Usyk makes good money.

Does anyone outside if the UK even know who Dubois is?

[Ruthless-RKO]

I wonder if fWank will be happy for Dubois to take 30% or less?

Usyk should be pushing for a Saudi site to negate the UK home advantage too.

Hopefully Usyk makes good money.

Does anyone outside if the UK even know who Dubois is?

Of course they do.

He was on that huge show in Miami. You know the one Don King, only the best promoter in the world, promoted. They even played every national anthm there is.

Jokes aside, the fight would be on UK anyway. Usyk is well known to casuals now in the UK.

[BigDoofus]

Ah well, at last some serious stuff and 2 boxers who actually do want to fight.

The rematch clause could throw a spanner in the works.

[The Gratest]

Ah well, at last some serious stuff and 2 boxers who actually do want to fight.

The rematch clause could throw a spanner in the works.

You're doing a multi-thread crying session now? Brilliant

[DrDuke]

While Joyce fights Zhang.

[gregregegg]

I honestly don’t think DDD should take this (unless it’s multi millions)…

But if he does he should go all guns blazing for a couple of rounds and pray he tags usyk. Just big power head and body and arms l, what AJ was scared to do both fights.

Probably gets countered into Disney land but still just gotta try get wild I think.

I expect usyk to stop DDD Mabey make him quit.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Frank has now warned Usyk.

Said Dubois is ready.

Fight or vacate.

[Kilburn]

I quite like the fight.

[HomicideHenry]

Dubois #1 ranking by the WBA is one of the worst I've seen in years. Top 10 or 15? Sure. But he shouldn't be in the top 5 let alone the top spot. This will be a cakewalk for Usyk and probably end up in a TKO win for the Ukrainian. Dubois takes a good shot and hits hard, but beyond that I haven't seen any improvement really from when he lost to Joyce. A few easy wins and he gets a high ranking. It's a letdown from an undisputed fight, or against any heavyweight with an actual chance of winning.

I'll go as far as to say that if Tyson Fury fights Andy Ruiz next, that the battle of the mandatories will have been won by Tyson Fury cus at least Ruiz is head and shoulders above Dubois in ability. With the Ukrainian stuck with Dubois and Hrgovic, Fury has the chance to undo his damaged image with stiffer tests with known names recognized by the general public.

[The Gratest]

It isn't a contest of mandatories though Henry, and stylistically, I wouldn't rank a 6ft 9" Fury slobbing his weight down on top of stumpy Andy jr for 12 rounds as a great win. Even a flawed Joshua managed to easily keep Ruiz at bay (albeit, an overweight version) for 12 rounds, so someone with even greater height, weight, reach and boxing IQ like Fury would do so for an easy UD.
I think Ruiz jr is tailor-made for Fury, despite the wins and names he has on his record.

[jamesmcdonnell]

It isn't a contest of mandatories though Henry, and stylistically, I wouldn't rank a 6ft 9" Fury slobbing his weight down on top of stumpy Andy jr for 12 rounds as a great win. Even a flawed Joshua managed to easily keep Ruiz at bay (albeit, an overweight version) for 12 rounds, so someone with even greater height, weight, reach and boxing IQ like Fury would do so for an easy UD.
I think Ruiz jr is tailor-made for Fury, despite the wins and names he has on his record.

Every version of Ruiz is overweight, it's merely a matter of degree. Fat Pig, Lardass, Jabba the Hutt, all just the many stages of Andy Ruiz.

[The Gratest]

It isn't a contest of mandatories though Henry, and stylistically, I wouldn't rank a 6ft 9" Fury slobbing his weight down on top of stumpy Andy jr for 12 rounds as a great win. Even a flawed Joshua managed to easily keep Ruiz at bay (albeit, an overweight version) for 12 rounds, so someone with even greater height, weight, reach and boxing IQ like Fury would do so for an easy UD.
I think Ruiz jr is tailor-made for Fury, despite the wins and names he has on his record.

Every version of Ruiz is overweight, it's merely a matter of degree. Fat Pig, Lardass, Jabba the Hutt, all just the many stages of Andy Ruiz.

I know, poorly worded. I meant an additional overweight Andy compared to normal overweight Andy.