19 Feb

Suleiman Proposes Another Innovation for the Fury vs. Usyk Bout

WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman is introducing another innovation for the upcoming fight for the undisputed heavyweight championship of the world (over 90,7 kg) between WBC champion Tyson Fury (34-0-1, 24 KOs) and the holder of the WBO, WBA, IBO, and IBF belts, Oleksandr Usyk (21-0, 14 KOs).

The innovation involves increasing the number of judges from three to five or six, as well as testing a training program where they will post scores online during the fights:

"Yes, these are my recommendations. Let's see. You know, in boxing, most of us are old-school aficionados. We're not very fond of changes, but I will continue to propose this novelty. So far, the idea appeals to some and not so much to others.

The results of this program have convinced me that the more judges there are, the lesser the risk of a wrongful decision. Judges are human too. Everyone can make a mistake. Sometimes, a single judge's decision in one round can cost a fighter the entire fight.

Why are all these innovations necessary specifically during the Fury vs. Usyk fight? It's the greatest heavyweight bout in 25 years! Therefore, everything must be done correctly. We immediately proposed the idea of using instant video replays. We plan to work together with the operator. It's important to understand which tools and viewing angles we need. The idea is to be able to immediately review a contentious episode and make the only correct decision. There should be no mistakes in this fight," said Sulaiman.

It's worth noting that the fight between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk for the undisputed heavyweight championship of the world is scheduled for May 18 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and Mauricio Sulaiman has previously spoken out on the necessity of introducing instant video replays during this bout.

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