Oleksandr Usyk who is the Ukrainian heavyweight boxing champion who recently defended his title against Anthony Joshua had revealed on Friday that he hoped to set up a unification bout with Britain’s Tyson Fury come 2023.
The plans of the fight had already been discussed since the 35-year-old Usyk had won his rematch against Anthony Joshua last month to retain the IBF, WBA and WBO titles in just his fourth fight in the division.
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“I would really like to see this fight happen next year,” Usyk said on Friday in Kyiv.
“We do not know what is on his mind. This is Tyson Fury, everyone knows that he is a very crazy kid,” he said.
Last month, WBC champion Fury announced that he was retiring from boxing but after the Usyk-Joshua game he posted a video on Twitter saying he “would annihilate both of them (Usyk and Joshua) on the same night”.
Fury posted another video on August 24, setting a September 1 deadline for plans to be made.
“If not, thank you very much, it’s been a blast I’m retired,” he said.
Usyk said on Friday that “the manager, the promoter, everyone who has the right to do so, is now communicating, working (to set up a fight).
“If it is not Tyson Fury, then there is no interest in boxing with anyone else,” he added.
Victory over the 6ft 9ins (2.06m) Fury would unite all four heavyweight belts and constitute a crowning glory for the Ukrainian.
However, Usyk said that the fight would not be possible until the end of this year due to his injuries.
Ukraine boxer, Oleksandr Usyk early Sunday morning won his rematch against Anthony Joshua by split decision to retain his world heavyweight titles in just his fourth fight in the division in Saudi Arabia.
Usyk, 35, who saw off the defending champion in London in 2021, faced an improved Joshua but outboxed him once again to set up a potential unification bout with Britain’s Tyson Fury.
‘I want to thank God for the help that he gave me today,” Usyk told the crowd at the 12,000-seat King Abdullah Sports City Arena in Jeddah.
‘I give this victory to my country, to my family, to my team and to all the military who are defending the country,’ he added.
The fight was watched on free-to-air TV by millions of Ukrainians living under the Russian invasion. Usyk signed up to fight for his country before accepting the rematch.
