BOXING promoter Frank Warren has given a major update on Tyson Fury’s undisputed title fight against Oleksandr Usyk.
That’s after reports claimed the Gypsy King was lining up a FOURTH bout against Deontay Wilder instead.
ReutersFrank Warren has given an update on Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk[/caption]
EPAThe camps have been in talks over a fight since December[/caption]
Fury, 34, is desperate to fight on April 29 after seeing Anthony Joshua secure a home clash against Jermaine Franklin earlier in the month.
But despite being in talks with Usyk’s camp since December, there is yet to be an agreement for a fight with the Ukrainian.
And reports on Monday claimed Fury was exploring a possible fourth fight against American foe Wilder as an alternative.
World Boxing News says the rivals have already held secret talks over a battle at Wembley Stadium.
And promoter Warren has now intervened to provide an update on Fury’s next opponent.
He insists the WBC king is not thinking about Wilder and is fully focused on fighting Usyk next.
Warren is adamant that an agreement is close after Usyk’s promoter Alex Krassyuk flew to the UK for crunch talks.
And he hopes treating Krassyuk to tickets for Arsenal vs Man City will help seal a deal on Wednesday.
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Warren told TalkSport: “[Fury talks with Wilder?] Not to my knowledge at all, not to my knowledge. No, absolutely. That’s not happened.
“From what I understand, I think he [Wilder] been ordered to fight Andy Ruiz to become the mandatory.
“We are very, very close to getting this [Fury vs Usyk] done. Very, very close.
“His people are coming in tomorrow and I’m hoping we’re gonna get some news for everybody. We’re close to getting it done.
“Tomorrow we’re gonna meet up. Alex Krassyuk, his promoter, is coming to the Arsenal vs Man City game with me.
“I’m hoping that if I can get enough wine down him that we can do the deal.
“We’re meeting him to get an agreement on the various scenarios to make it happen.
“There’s a few more hurdles for both sides to get over. They’re not [insurmountable], not at all. Location is the main thing.
“If we go abroad, then you go there for a premium, that’s the reason you do it.
“If not, then we get down to the reality of what it’ll be at Wembley where the numbers are what they are.
“We broke the box office record with the fight vs Dillian Whyte last April. If we get this one on, I think that will break that record.
“I think it’s well in excess of a million [UK PPV] buys, one-and-a-half million.
“It’s not like we’ve got to go and sell Usyk, he’s beaten Anthony Joshua twice, the public know who he is. It’s not a tough sell at all.
“We’ve got a pencil on it [April 29] for obvious reasons, just in case, we’ve gotta make sure we’ve got some insurance. So there’s a pencil on the date.
“In a perverse way I would like to see it at Wembley because I’d like to see all the records broken and obviously see the fight in the UK.
“But from the boxers and their bank managers’ point of view, they would like to maximise what they can earn for an historic fight.
“The situation is it’s got to be dealt with this week because otherwise it just won’t happen.
“That would be bad for boxing and bad for everybody in the sport if we don’t make it happen.”