First Reaction from Fury's Team on Usyk Vacating IBF Title
The team of former champion Tyson Fury (34-1-1, 24 KOs) has responded to the decision of WBA, WBC, WBO, and IBO heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk (22-0, 14 KOs) to vacate the IBF title, meaning the rematch between the Ukrainian and the Brit will no longer be for the undisputed world championship.
Frank Warren, the British promoter and founder of Queensberry Promotions, explained that regardless, we will still see a fight for the undisputed title when the winner of the bout between Anthony Joshua (28-3, 25 KOs) and IBF champion Daniel Dubois (21-2, 20 KOs) meets the winner of the Fury-Usyk rematch.
"All roads will lead back to unification. Usyk will get a massive payday for the rematch against Tyson Fury, which he signed a contract for. That’s the situation. For him, it’s pure business. If it were about retaining the belts, he wouldn’t have vacated the IBF title. He’s in it for the money, and obviously, the rematch is a massive fight everyone wants to see. No matter what happens, the winner of the September 21 fight (Joshua-Dubois) – and it will be Daniel – will fight the winner of the rematch, and the four belts will be on the line again," Warren told Sky Sports.
Tyson’s manager, Spencer Brown, stated that the British ex-champion doesn’t care about the fight's status and sees it as just another bout.
"In reality, Tyson isn’t bothered by it. The past few weeks, he’s been enjoying himself. He’s having a great time in his life with his kids, and he just wants to put boxing behind him. Does he care about the belt? No. Fury has been to various places for relaxation. He doesn’t go to luxurious spots – he was in Chester the other day. I saw him in Blackpool over the weekend – he spent the day with his kids. He’s not an extravagant guy. And as for the belt, it is what it is. This is boxing. He will become the undisputed champion. We’re down 0:1 now. The first half is over. There’s still the second half. Remember, Usyk’s team is the best in the world. They graciously agreed to a rematch. For Tyson, it’s just another fight, and he will win. Belts are just leather and metal, right? You wake up in the morning and think: 'I want to see this fight, but it’s not for the undisputed championship…' Has it changed your opinion of the fight? It’s unfortunate, but that’s how it is. This is life. Let someone else become the world champion. Tyson doesn’t care," Brown said.
The rematch between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk will take place on December 21 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.