Tyson Fury’s undisputed world heavyweight title fight with Oleksandr Usyk has been rearranged for 18 May, promoters have announced.
The much-hyped encounter had originally been due to take place in Saudi Arabia later this month but was postponed after the Briton suffered a bad cut above an eye in training.
Announcing the postponement, Queensberry Promotions posted a picture of Fury showing what appeared to be a large cut above his right eye.
It was accompanied by a statement saying the wound required “urgent medical attention and significant stitching, and will obviously require a period of recovery, scuppering any possibility of the fight with Usyk taking place”.
Usyk’s camp had initially expressed scepticism about the news. The Ukrainian’s manager Egis Klimas told Sky Sports before a new date was agreed that Fury “will do anything to not face Usyk” and suggested that maybe the Briton was “hit by a frying pan which he asked for”.
Usyk’s promoter Alex Krassyuk also replied to Fury’s Instagram post about the incident with the comment: “Wish you soonest recovery. God sent you a sign. Think of retirement, brother.”
The winner of the fight, when it eventually takes place, will be crowned as the first undisputed heavyweight champion of the four-belt era. Ukraine’s Usyk holds the WBO, WBA and IBF titles.