The heavyweight Anthony Joshua stopped in his last fight is the cause of a delay to the Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk blockbuster.
Fury vs Usyk was due to occur on February 17 as part of the lucrative Riyadh Season in Saudi Arabia. It was the jewel in the crown for Saudi Chairman Turki Alalshikh.
However, Otto Wallin – battered by Joshua on ‘Day of Reckoning’ in December, opened up a massive gash of Fury’s face when they fought in September 2019. The cut almost halted the Deontay Wilder rematch from taking place but undoubtedly delayed it until six months later.
That horrific disfigurement has since returned to haunt Fury as it reopened in sparring this week, postponing the undisputed battle with Usyk.
Outlining what happened, Team Fury released a statement.
Tyson Fury statement
“WBC Heavyweight Champion Tyson Fury has been forced to postpone his fight with unified Champion Oleksandr Usyk after sustaining a freak cut during a sparring session in Riyadh.
“The cut, which opened above Fury’s right eye, required urgent medical attention and significant stitching and will need a period of recovery, scuppering any possibility of the fight with Usyk taking place on February 17 in Saudi Arabia.
A spokesperson added: “While this is still breaking news, it is clearly a massive disappointment after the work that has been done. So many people worked hard to finally deliver this historic event to the world.
“Once the Doctors have appraised Tyson’s eye, we will have a better idea of the period of recovery needed.
“Once known, we will work diligently with all the stakeholders and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to reschedule this fight as soon as possible. We will, of course, keep everyone updated with developments.”
Revealing his frustration, Fury stated: “I am absolutely devastated after preparing for this fight for so long and being in such superb condition.
“I feel bad for everyone involved in this huge event. But I will work diligently towards the rescheduled date once the eye has healed.
“I can only apologize to everyone affected, including my own team, Team Usyk, the undercard fighters, partners, and fans. I apologize to our hosts and my friends in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.”
Heavyweight cut
Jorge Capetillo, the cutman who saved Fury’s undefeated record against Wallin after the cut happened in the third round, spoke exclusively to WBN at the time.
He said: “Everything changed [from the third round] because we understood if the fight stopped, we would lose by TKO, and it was my responsibility.
“But I know about Tyson Fury’s capacity, his will to fight. So it was just a matter of putting in all my effort and experience. Just seeing round by round, which we did.”
Who would have thought four years later that same cut would delay the biggest heavyweight fight in 25 years?
