TYSON FURY and Oleksandr Usyk will now clash in their long-awaited world heavyweight title showdown on May 18.
The pair were supposed to meet on February 17 but that plan was officially put to bed yesterday (February 2) when it was revealed Fury had suffered a serious cut above his right eye during a sparring session.
It has been suggested that Fury’s wound required 15 stitches and the wound will now of course need to fully heal before the WBC champion can return to training camp.
However, Turki Al-Alshikh, the chairman of the Saudi Arabia General Entertainment Authority, has confirmed that the new plan is for the pair to collide three months after the initial date.
As with the February date, the pair will fight in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and do so in the same arena in which Fury beat Francis Ngannou via split decision last year.
After Friday’s confirmation that the original date had been cancelled, Fury said: “I am absolutely devastated after preparing for this fight for so long and being in such superb condition.
“I feel bad for everyone involved in this huge event and I will work diligently towards the rescheduled date once the eye has healed.”
Some had suggested that this withdrawal might lead to a complete cancellation of the fight and a possible retirement for the undefeated 35-year-old from Morecambe. However, it appears that Fury’s cut is only a minor bump in the road en route to the most significant heavyweight fight of the generation.
