Chasing two fighters – Sport – Kommersant

The brightest star of modern professional boxing, Tyson Fury, who defended his World Boxing Council (WBC) heavyweight title in the spring, challenged his compatriot, Briton Anthony Joshua. Fury offered to fight for the title in December. Experts, meanwhile, are confident that there will be no British battle. And Fury, known for his outrageous antics and statements, thus wants to make another boxer, Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk, nervous, in order to fight for the title of absolute world champion in the heavyweight division as soon as possible.

One of the most popular boxers in the world, Tyson Fury, posted a video on his social networks in which he turned to Anthony Joshua with a call to fight for the WBC world title before the end of this year. “I’m giving you a couple of months to prepare. Let me know if you’re interested,” he said.

Former king of the Joshua category, victim defeat in August in a duel with Ukrainian boxer Oleksandr Usyk, he accepted this challenge immediately. He wrote on Twitter that he does not discuss fights online, but in general he does not mind and is ready to enter the ring in December.

This fight, of course, would be doomed to become an extremely high-profile event, but hardly anyone believes that it will actually take place.

With undisguised skepticism, Fury’s challenge was also commented on by well-known promoter Eddie Hearn, who represents the interests of Anthony Joshua: “Fury can masterfully make people believe complete nonsense. I don’t think he takes any of this seriously.”

Tyson Fury, who has always been distinguished by eccentric behavior, only in the last six months – after defeating Dillian Whyte – managed to end (once again) his career, announce his return to the ring and announce fight against British veteran Derek Chisora, then change his mind and retire from boxing again. All his antics were considered by experts as marketing moves necessary to increase interest in the person of Fury before, perhaps, the most important fight in his career – for the title of absolute world champion in the heavyweight division.

And the current trick is needed, according to key boxing publications like boxing scenefor this fight to take place as soon as possible. The fact is that Oleksandr Usyk, who owns the belts of the International Boxing Federation (IBF), the World Boxing Association (WBA) and the World Boxing Organization (WBO), has made it clear that he wants to rest after the last fight with Joshua. And the Ukrainian boxer will be ready to enter the ring again only at the beginning of next year.

Similar statements by Tyson Fury may meanwhile, put pressure on Usyk and force him to postpone his vacation.

After all, the Ukrainian heavyweight himself did not hide his desire to meet with the Briton, he even threatened once: “If I don’t fight Tyson Fury, I won’t fight anyone.”

The point, on the one hand, is the title of the absolute world champion among heavyweights, which has not been won by any of the boxers over the past 20 years. Briton Lennox Lewis managed to collect all the significant belts (at that time there were, however, only three) in this division for the last time in 2000. On the other hand, in the financial component. This fight, which will really be a huge event, will provide the participants with appropriate fees.

In August, Fury announced that he intends to receive £500 million for his participation in the fight: “If they want a fight, they will have to pay. Mayweather got £400m for the Pacquiao fight. I want £500m.” The fight between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao, to which Tyson Fury refers, took place in 2015 and really brought the participants fees in the amount of 400 million, though not pounds, but dollars. Most – 60% – went to the winner of the match, Mayweather.

Tyson Fury doesn’t seem to have any intention of losing to Floyd Mayweather when it comes to prize money. And the prize fund, according to Fury’s manager Frank Warren, will be divided between the boxers in equal shares.

Ekaterina Remizova