According to James Ali Bashir, Usyk’s former coach, the Gypsy King withdrew from his bout with Usyk, slated for February 17, due to a cut suffered over his right eye during sparring, necessitating extensive stitching.
This last-minute development irked the boxing community since it followed Fury’s previous withdrawal from their initial encounter in December 2023, attributed to his challenging bout with Francis Ngannou. Bashir speculated that Fury’s reputation for rowdiness, potentially sparring without headgear, could have contributed to the injury, indicating a lack of professionalism and respect for fans.
The pressure on Fury intensifies with Turki Alalshikh’s threat of a $10 million fine for further pullouts, especially given Fury’s anticipated career-high earnings and the desire to silence critics and cement his legacy with this pivotal fight against Usyk.
The boxing world hasn’t seen an undisputed heavyweight champion since Lennox Lewis in 1999, adding to the urgency for Fury to achieve this status, especially with Usyk having already unified the cruiserweight division. However, Bashir cast doubts on the fight’s likelihood, citing the extensive healing required for Fury’s cut and suggesting a postponement to June or July for better recovery. Fury must balance rigorous training to prepare for Usyk’s challenge while minimizing the risk of exacerbating his injury, knowing that Usyk will likely target the vulnerable eye during the fight. “FURY COULD PULL OUT OF USYK FIGHT AGAIN—’I’SEE THAT RE-OPENING…” Bashir said.
