Tyson Fury has made it known that he intends to have a rematch with new undisputed heavyweight champion of the world Oleksandr Usyk, despite currently being suspended from boxing.
The Gypsy King had the power to initiate a second bout with Usyk following his defeat in their thrilling undisputed title fight last weekend.
According to the contract, the loser of the initial match would decide if they wanted a rematch.
Fury, aged 35, has now confirmed this is his plan after initially contemplating whether or not to continue his career. The rematch clause will be activated, according to the Daily Star.
The UAE Boxing Commission, who supervised the fight against Usyk, have informed Fury that he cannot box until this weekend although he was of course never going to.
Usyk claimed the WBC heavyweight title from Fury last weekend, adding to his WBA, WBO and IBF belts after an impressive showdown in Saudi Arabia. Both fighters were significantly marked up after the match, and there were initial concerns that Usyk had sustained a broken jaw.
Although these fears were unfounded, the Ukrainian boxer needed four stitches for a cut above his right eye. He was temporarily suspended by the UAE Boxing Commission – who oversaw the main event in Saudi, not the British Boxing Board of Control – due to his injuries.
Usyk made history by becoming the first undisputed champion in his division since Lennox Lewis in 1999. Turki Alalshikh, chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority and a significant figure in the sport, has set October as the tentative date for the rematch in Riyadh.
However, the schedule is dependent on Usyk’s recovery from injuries sustained during the bout. There’s a risk that Usyk could lose his IBF title due to an impending mandatory defence against Filip Hrgovic, who is currently the top contender.
