Boxing

Tyson Fury will get unified Usyk bout despite IBF fear with announcement ‘soon’

Tyson Fury will get a crack at the undisputed heavyweight title after promoter Frank Warren dismissed fears the IBF title could be stripped from Oleksandr Usyk.

The pair’s clash in Saudi Arabia is set to be put back until February after Fury had to pick himself up off the canvas to beat boxing novice Francis Ngannou which killed the December 23 date.

That sparked concerns the IBF would call Usyk to face mandatory Filip Hrgovic but Warren insists that won’t be an issue.

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He said: “Four belts. The IBF have given consent for that to happen. Believe you me, I had the late meetings. It’s all done.

“Already in place. He got a cut eye in the fight so it could never go on. I think the deadline with the IBF is by March. Ring the IBF they’ll tell you. There’s absolutely not a problem. The fight is on, everything is agreed. It is ready to be announced. It will be announced very soon.”

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Warren insists he put the brakes on Fury pushing for December 23 date after he insisted in the ring he would face Usyk then.

The promoter said: “It’s not just the bruising [he had over his eye], he’s had a 12 week camp, he’s had a new baby, he’s had a tough fight, it’s a tough fight for him so now he needs a couple of weeks off.

“Then he would only have six weeks to train for the undisputed fight? If it ended earlier then 23rd would have been a viable date. He said to me after he would fight and I said ‘no you’re not’. I told him it wouldn’t go away, it’s signed and done.”

Warren has no fears that his man Fury has got old overnight despite the Gypsy King admitting he put in a “below-par” performance against Ngannou.

He said: “You can suddenly become very old in boxing, overnight. I don’t think that’s the case and we will find out in his next fight. In my opinion, I don’t think anyone expected that.

“I did expect it to be tough but never expected that fella to shape up like he did. I think he will beat Usyk and he knows Usyk. He knows what he’s got in front of him, Usyk is not going to switch his style.

“If Usyk watches that fight and sees a chink in his armour, who knows? Usyk is a competitor, he wants to fight. They both do. It will be a good fight.”

Warren admitted Fury’s career could finish in Saudi now the Middle East nation is paying big bucks. He added: “That could be a situation.”

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