World Boxing News can confirm that Tyson Fury did not get knocked out in sparring by cruiserweight puncher Jai Opetaia.
Internet rumors swirled this week that Opetaia was ordered away from Fury’s camp after just five rounds. The speculation was that Fury was unhappy with Opetaia planting him on his backside.
This fabricated happening has since been firmly denied by Opetaia’s team.
Jai Opetaia did not knock Tyson Fury out
Tasman Fighters said: “Jai Opetaia has recently returned from Saudi Arabia, where he sparred and trained with Tyson Fury.
“They were fantastic, competitive rounds and an incredible experience for Jai. However, any talk of either boxer being dropped is not true.
“Jai is now back in Australia finalizing his preparation to defend his world title and cannot wait to do so in Saudi Arabia.”
Opetaia faces Mairis Briedis in an attempt to regain the IBF cruiserweight title the International Boxing Federation horrendously stripped of him.
The tough Aussie fights on the undercard of Fury’s clash with Oleksandr Usyk. The pair will unify the four championships for the first time since Lennox Lewis in the late 1990s.
Lewis beat Evander Holyfield twice [one horrifically scored a draw] to capture the IBF, WBA, WBA, and IBO straps. At the time, the IBO version was considered worth more than the emerging WBO.
That eventually changed in the 2000s as the IBO dropped to being labeled the ‘fifth title.’
Fury promises he won’t pull out of Usyk fight
Fury or Usyk will emerge from the rubble of battle with the undisputed tag as the most lucrative fighter on the planet.
That’s provided Shawn Porter‘s prediction that Fury will pull out doesn’t come true.
The former world champion turned podcaster stated: “Don’t be surprised if something comes up with the WWE before this,” Porter said on Deep Waters.
“I think that there’s a lot of pluses for Tyson Fury, but I just don’t see him being able to look at those pluses and feel like ‘hey, I’m going to win that fight, I’m going to beat him.'”
However, “The Gypsy King” has promised not to cancel plans for February 17.
“All this talk of Tyson Fury is scared and he doesn’t want to fight. Yes, it’s happening. Unless your man pulls out, it’s not [sic, it is] happening.
“The only person who will pull out is you guys [Usyk and his team].”
