"Go to Hollywood if you want to make that kind of money" - Oleksandr Usyk's manager slams Tyson Fury over fight talks
Oleksandr Usyk and his team won't back down from a 50-50 split with Tyson Fury.
'The Cat' has been out of action since his rematch with Anthony Joshua last August. In that outing, Usyk won by split-decision, retaining his heavyweight titles and defeating 'AJ' for the second time in the process.
With the victory, the Ukrainian was cleared for a heavyweight unification bout with Tyson Fury. While they were in talks to fight back in December, an injury to Usyk led Derek Chisora to face 'The Gypsy King' that night instead.
The WBC Heavyweight Champion won by a tenth-round stoppage and had a face-off with Usyk post-fight. Following that face-to-face meeting, the two men, as well as their promoters, confirmed they were eyeing a clash in February or March.
Full @talkSPORT story as Frank Warren says "everything's looking positive" for Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk in March.
talksport.com/sport/boxing/1…
However, that date has come and gone, and fans aren't any closer to seeing the two champions fight. In an interview with BoxingScene, Oleksandr Usyk's promoter Alexander Krassyuk revealed that the matchup is currently held up to money issues.
Specifically, Tyson Fury wants a wider split in revenue. He stated:
“But, c’mon man, this is sports. It’s not just about professional boxing. Go to Hollywood if you want to make that kind of money. If you’re the king you’ve got to prove it. Prove it against the guy with three belts.”
See his comments below:
Usyk Promoter Responds to Fury's Demands: This Is Sports; Go to Hollywood If You Want That Kind of Money dlvr.it/SjRDZQ https://t.co/KgDSqoykTm
Oleksandr Usyk's promoter remains optimistic
Despite those comments, Oleksandr Usyk's promoter, Alexander Krassyuk, is feeling good about fight talks.
'The Cat' has also hit back at Tyson Fury over the last few weeks, stating that money was holding the fight up. For his part, the WBC Heavyweight Champion has stayed quiet regarding the accusations.
For his part, the promoter of the Ukrainian believes that at this stage, the only person who can blow the fight up is Fury. However, Krassyuk doesn't believe that will happen, and thinks a fight with Oleksandr Usyk will be made.
In an interview with BoxingScene, the promoter speculated that 'The Gypsy King' is afraid of losing popularity with the loss. Nonetheless, he believes the fight will be booked. He stated:
“If Fury is afraid to lose his popularity, to lose the status he has now—and against Usyk he has the biggest chance to lose it— he may not be flexible, he might ask for a bigger share to justify his risk... But deep in my heart I believe he has the heart of a warrior and he will accept the fair conditions and will not walk around…then we can make this fight in the next three days.”