Talks for Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk have broken down once again with the Ukrainian fighter shutting down his training camp as a result.
Their fight to crown the heavyweight division’s first undisputed champion since Lennox Lewis in 2000 had been provisionally set to take place on 29 April at Wembley Stadium after a 70-30 split of the fight purse was agreed in Fury’s favour.
However, ESPN report the two fighters and their respective camps have been unable to agree ‘other material terms critical to the deal beyond the split’.
IBF, WBO and WBA champion Usyk had been in training for the fight but has now left camp to discuss other options.
‘No matter how much Usyk compromised, he was pushed for more,’ Usyk’s manager, Egis Klimas, told boxing reporter Steve Kim.
Another British fighter in Daniel Dubois is next in line to fight Usyk should they be unable to revive the Fury fight.
The 25-year-old Londoner won the WBA ‘regular’ title last summer after knocking out Trevor Bryan and defended the belt before Christmas.
The WBA officially ordered Usyk to defend his title against Dubois in December but at that stage, it looked unlikely that ruling would affect plans for the undisputed clash against Fury.
The WBA have since set a new deadline for 1 April for Fury vs Usyk to be made, with mandatory challenger Dubois waiting in the wings.
Usyk’s promoter, Alexander Krassyuk, who has held major doubts over the fight going ahead in recent weeks, has welcomed talk of a fight against Dubois in England.
‘This is actually what’s next for Usyk,’ he told iD Boxing earlier this month. ‘So what can I say? We have to comply with it. It’s probably not the worst fight for the UK. Dubois is English,’ he said.
‘Usyk fought a couple times here, so he’s probably a bit known. This is a fight where an Englishman is fighting for three belts at heavyweight. It’s a bit more than just a normal heavyweight fight.
‘Because Usyk and Tyson and all this stuff occurred, that’s why it doesn’t look that big because we have something to compare with. On the other hand, it’s still huge.’
MORE : Oleksandr Usyk’s promoter slams ‘scared’ Tyson Fury after latest contract demand
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