Usyk's title fight is at risk due to Fury's financial demands

‘When a fighter doesn’t want to fight, he asks for something impossible’: Oleksandr Usyk’s promoter Alex Krassyuk admits Tyson Fury title fight is at RISK due to the Gypsy King’s financial demands

  • Oleksandr Usyk’s promoter says Tyson Fury is being too financially demanding
  • Usyk and Fury are in negotiations for an undisputed heavyweight title fight
  • However, they are struggling to see eye-to-eye about the financials for the bout 

Oleksandr Usyk’s promoter Alex Krassyuk says the Ukrainian’s undisputed heavyweight title fight with Tyson Fury is at risk of falling through due to the Gypsy King’s financial demands. 

Usyk and Fury have spent the last couple of months negotiating terms for the fight – which will unify the division for the first time since Lennox Lewis beat Evander Holyfield in 1999. 

However, Krassyuk says the two heavyweight boxers are a long way off agreeing terms for the historic bout as they are struggling to see eye-to-eye on the financials. 

Krassyuk told iD Boxing: ‘I can only tell you from the words I hear from my negotiators, my partners Frank and George Warren. According to their reports, Tyson Fury was asking for too much money.’

Krassyuk went on to add: ‘Even if Oleksandr Usyk if would get zero for the fight, it would still not be sufficient for Tyson to cover his [demands].

Oleksandr Usyk’s promoter Alex Krassyuk says the Ukrainian’s undisputed heavyweight title fight with Tyson Fury is in jeopardy due to money 


 Fury (left) and Usyk (right) are still targeting an April 29 bout but there is ‘a long way to go in agreeing a deal that financially satisfies both men’

Boxing fans across the world are eager for a deal to be struck between Fury – the current occupant of the WBC title – and Usyk – the current occupant of the WBA, WBO and IBF belts 

‘Normally when a fighter doesn’t want to fight, he asks for something impossible, and then it’s not happening. That’s according to my experience. I’ve been in boxing for almost 20 years and that’s what I’ve seen so many times. 

‘When you’re looking for an opponent for your fighter and finding a proper option, and he doesn’t want to come, he says, “pay me 100 instead of five”.’ 

His comments came shortly after Eddie Hearn hit out of Fury for being ‘greedy’ and demanding too much money for the fight. 

Speaking to IFL TV, Hearn said: ‘When are you guys out there going to start understanding? “It’s not about the money” “I’ll fight him for free” “As long as the tickets are free for the general public”. 

‘F*** off. You want money. You want too much money. You’re not the draw you think you are. That fight’s not as big as you think it is.

‘Everyone talks about big fights in the Middle East for heavyweight world championships but guess what, there is only person that has delivered big fights in the middle east and that is Moi. 

‘Right, three fights. Three world heavyweight championships. Two in Saudi Arabia and also the big card in Abu Dhabi as well. He’s all about greed. If you are about legacy and you want to be undisputed, then you take the fight. So you’ll get £50m or £60m instead of the £80m or £100m or £125m that you asked for.

‘F*** me. You’ve all been played for all these years. But, concentrate on one thing. April 1st. The O2 Arena. AJ is back against Jermaine Franklin. 

‘He’s never ducked from anybody. He’s always wanted the fights. Fought all these people in progression. Never told Porky Pies. Never went on social media and said I am going to give all my money away. F*** right off. Get behind Anthony Joshua.’ 

When asked whether he thought the fight between Fury and Usyk would actually happen, Hearn said: ‘I mean, maybe! If you really want the fight. You have to make concessions. Fury has a point that he is the bigger draw but I will tell you something now. 


Eddie Hearn ripped into the ‘Gypsy King’ for financial demands made in the negotiations

‘When Tyson Fury drew with Wilder and he didn’t have a world championship belt, we offered him 60/40 to fight Anthony Joshua as a voluntary challenger. Not as a mandatory challenger. 

‘But, he came back and said he would only fight at 50/50. At the time, AJ was the much bigger draw. He was the unified heavyweight world champion and Tyson Fury had no belts. The fight didn’t happen. 

‘Fury is worth more than 50/50 in this fight but if you want to be the first undisputed heavyweight world champion since Lennox Lewis then you take 50/50. 

‘If Oleksandr Usyk is a little middleweight and no good then it’s easy money. But he knows how good Usyk is. When are you gonna f***ing wake up. It ain’t about legacy. Some people care about legacy and some people don’t care about legacy. I care about legacy.’

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