Oleksandr Usyk addresses Tyson Fury's beard potentially acting as cushion during fight ahead of rematch
Oleksandr Usyk's team has gotten into an intense disagreement with Tyson Fury's team over the Brit's overgrown beard heading into their rematch. Usyk himself has now addressed the issue.
Their first fight, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in May 2024, witnessed Usyk almost knock Fury out in the ninth round before ultimately winning via split decision in a heavyweight title unification showdown. Usyk was crowned the undisputed heavyweight champion but later vacated his IBF belt.
The Ukrainian is currently the unified heavyweight champion and is booked to defend his belts against Fury at the same venue in Riyadh on Dec. 21, 2024. Fight week has been marked by considerable intensity, even featuring an exceptionally long staredown between the two pugilists.
Adding to fight week tensions, Team Usyk protested against Fury's beard. Fury had notably sported an apparently clean-shaven look in their first encounter, but he's grown out his facial hair before the rematch.
Ahead of the rematch, Usyk's manager, Alex Krassyuk, indicated that per the WBC's rules, a boxer's facial hair mustn't act as a cushion or affect the impact/trajectory of the opponent's punches. It also shouldn't cause the opponent abrasions/cuts. They reportedly raked it up with the Middle East Boxing Commission to have Fury trim his facial hair.
In response, Fury's promoter, Queesberry Promotions' Frank Warren, spoke to Sky Sports and disagreed with Team Usyk's calls for Fury's beard to be trimmed. Speaking to Sky Sports, WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman asserted that the boxing commission inspected Fury and found no issue. Sulaiman implied they were likely mind games from the Usyk camp.
Moreover, the three major sanctioning bodies involved in the rematch -- WBA, WBC, and WBO -- haven't objected to Fury's facial hair.
Speaking to Oleksandr Usyk, iFL TV's Kugan Cassius asked him about the beard debacle. 'The Cat' responded by stating:
"For me, doesn't matter. For me."
Usyk reaffirmed:
"For me, yes. Listen, it's not help Tyson Fury."
Check out Usyk's comments below (0:08):
Oleksandr Usyk addresses facing Tyson Fury's verbal barrage at their recent face-off
Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury got into an intense war of words toward the end of their pre-fight press conference face-off. 'The Gypsy King' notably hurled a few expletives at the reigning unified heavyweight champion.
When asked about the same by Kugan Cassius, Usyk implied that he simply zoned out his foe's verbal barrage. Recalling what he heard, 'The Cat' said:
"Only quiet ... Only quiet. Quiet and music."
Furthermore, Oleksandr Usyk was asked about what'd likely happen on fight night, Usyk appeared to promise that he'll face Tyson Fury in a "great fight," which would end with him being announced as "still" being the unified heavyweight champion.
Watch Oleksandr Usyk's response below (0:50):