"His heart is broken" - Tyson Fury urged to wiggle out of Oleksandr Usyk fight giving excuse of injury
Riddick Bowe believes that Tyson Fury's heart is broken coming out of Saturday's fight.
Over the weekend, 'The Gypsy King' returned to the ring to face Francis Ngannou. Entering the contest, Fury was a massive betting favorite to win, and for good reason. It was the first boxing match in the career of 'The Predator'.
The WBC heavyweight champion was so confident, he signed to face Oleksandr Usyk in a bout less than two months after his with Ngannou. However, that December clash with 'The Cat' is now off. Fury escaped with a win on Saturday night, but that's about the best way to put it.
Tyson Fury was knocked down, cut, and nearly suffered a decision loss to Francis Ngannou. All of that led former champion Riddick Bowe to believe that the British boxer is likely hurting right now. 'Big Daddy' attended the fight, and was even seen in Fury's walkout.
In a recent interview with FightHype, Bowe admitted that he had been in that position before. A fight like that hurts mentally, and the legend believes that he might need to pull out against Usyk because of it. However, he could also use the fight in a good way.
Speaking in the interview, Bowe stated:
"I would say my hand is hurt to postpone or wiggle my way out... Do I think he's disappointed? He's bewildered and he's disappointed because of this young man... As a champion, his heart is broken. I know how it feels to be knocked down. Like, 'Wait a minute, this guy is going to knock me down?'... All these things happen, 'I should've done this, should've done that', and you go back and think about it and it made me depressed for a month or so... Things happen, but I used them as learning experiences when I'd fight."
See his comments below (2:45):
When is Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk?
Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk has been postponed to February 2024.
While Riddick Bowe likely won't get his wish, the heavyweight clash has now been postponed. Despite Fury's pre-fight comments about fighting 'The Cat' in December, regardless of how things go with Ngannou, that was seemingly just banter.
As first reported by ESPN, Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk will now be going down next February. While disappointing news for fans, the stakes of the bout haven't changed. The two heavyweight champions will clash in Saudi Arabia on ESPN pay-per-view.
Furthermore, the bout will crown the first undisputed champion the weight class has seen since Lennox Lewis. While it's disappointing that the fight has been moved, it would be incredible to happen at all.