A historic announcement was made on Sunday as Tyson Fury and Oleksander Usyk have agreed to fight in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
After months of uncertainty as to whether this heavyweight bout would happen, a deal has finally been pencilled- with Queensbury promoter Frank Warren labelling it, “the biggest fight that could be possible be made in our sport.”
Fury faced criticism for failing to reach terms with Usyk after a proposed bout at London’s Wembley Stadium in April fell through.
Fury, 35, is the WBC champion and Usyk, 36, holds the WBA, WBO and IBF titles. The winner of the fight will become the first undisputed heavyweight champion in the four-belt era.
Not since Lenox Lewis in 1999 has there been an undisputed heavyweight champion, when Lewis beat Evander Holyfield at Maddison Square Garden to successfully defend the WBA, WBC and IBF titles.
The fight has been tipped for 23 December, but it will more than likely be pushed back to early next year with Fury scheduled to fight MMA fighter Francis Ngannou on 23 October.
The process of the deal has run particularly smooth, with the fight forming part of ‘Riyadh Season’ – an entertainment events festival held in Saudi Arabia’s capital every winter since its launch in 2019.
Several lucrative and high-profile fights have been staged in Saudi Arabia over the last few years- including Usyk’s fight with Anthony Joshua in August 2022. It’s been widely reported that the Gulf Kingdom is investing in these mammoth sporting events to help improve its stained international reputation.
The announcement has pleased boxing fanatics who are surprised that a deal has been struck but when you look at who is engineering the deal it’s no surprise this one moved quickly.
The winner of the fight will ultimately be crowned the greatest modern heavyweight to ever grace the ring and there may be an expectation that both men will contemplate retirement when the dust settles in Riyadh, depending on the outcome of the fight.
