{"id":292283,"date":"2023-10-29T07:59:10","date_gmt":"2023-10-29T07:59:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportsloveme.com\/?p=292283"},"modified":"2023-10-29T07:59:10","modified_gmt":"2023-10-29T07:59:10","slug":"usyk-has-message-for-ngannou-and-scared-fury-before-fight","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportsloveme.com\/boxing\/usyk-has-message-for-ngannou-and-scared-fury-before-fight\/","title":{"rendered":"Usyk has message for Ngannou and ‘scared’ Fury before fight"},"content":{"rendered":"

Tyson Fury and Francis Ngannou weigh-in in Riyadh<\/h3>\n

Oleksandr Usyk\u00a0has delivered his final messages to Tyson Fury and Francis Ngannou before they duke it out in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia later tonight. The Ukrainian superstar will be watching from ringside with his fingers crossed, praying that Ngannou doesn’t pull off what would surely go down as one of the biggest upsets in boxing history.<\/p>\n

Providing everything goes to plan Usyk will finally share the ring with Fury on either December 23 or sometime in January for all four major sanctioning body belts. Not since Lennox Lewis beat Evander Holyfield all the way back in November 1999 has the undisputed crown been on the line in the glamour division.\u00a0<\/p>\n

So, it comes as no surprise that Usyk is hoping his fierce rival can get out of the crossover clash scot-free. “Francis, be careful with Tyson, I need him in the ring on December 23,” Usyk quipped in a direct message to the Cameroonian MMA star.<\/p>\n

But make no mistake, Usyk and Fury are not friends. A warm embrace at the pre-fight gala may have fooled observers into believing that this fight is “just business” but there is a genuine level of spite bubbling beneath the surface.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Fury and Usyk were supposed to face each other earlier this year in April but a breakdown in negotiations over the purse split for the rematch derailed those plans. The former undisputed cruiserweight champion gave\u00a0into Fury’s demands for a 70\/30 split in his adversary’s favour for their inaugural encounter but did so on the understanding that it would be reversed should he win the first fight.<\/p>\n

However, according to ESPN,\u00a0Fury was unwilling to compromise on anything greater than an even share as Usyk and Co pulled the plug on discussions. Fury’s reported concerns about what he would be paid in the event of a loss have led Usyk to claim that the Gypsy King is “scared” – a narrative he has run with throughout the tense build-up.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

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