Bob Arum has called upon Tyson Fury to consider a bout against Oleksandr Usyk following his upcoming fight with Francis Ngannou.
Scheduled for October 28th, 2023, Fury's match against Ngannou has positioned him as the overwhelming favorite. Ngannou, making his boxing debut against the WBC heavyweight champion of the world, is seen by many as having a puncher's chance. However, this bout came at the expense of a potential clash with Usyk.
Despite Usyk publicly agreeing to a 70-30 split, negotiations between Fury and the Ukrainian fell apart. In response, Usyk defended his unified heavyweight titles against Daniel Dubois. Subsequently, Usyk expressed his desire to face Fury. Nevertheless, Fury has recently indicated a shift in focus towards securing the most lucrative fights, rather than facing the biggest names. Bob Arum, however, expressed his desire to see the two boxers square off next.
“For me, no more screwing around – let’s fight an undisputed fight against Usyk, and see who is the best heavyweight out there,” Arum urged.
The prospects of such a fight happening appear slim. Fury has suggested he'd be open to renewed negotiations if Usyk altered his demands. Yet, given Usyk's willingness to accept a 70-30 split previously, there isn't much room for further concessions, despite Fury's recent comments.
Fury emphasized, “If Usyk is a good little boy, he might be an option but if he isn’t, he will just be another foreign middleweight that stays out in the cold. I will beat him, and I won’t even look for a body shot either. I will knock him out with a chin shot if that fight ever happens. If he is a good little boy and takes a small percentage of the superstar’s money then he will get a fight. If he wants big bucks. If he wants a seat at the king’s table then you’ve got to play ball with the master.”