Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk at risk of being ‘PUSHED BACK’ again, says ex-world champ who slammed Brit’s Ngannou fight
TYSON FURY’s long-overdue showdown with Oleksandr Usyk is at risk of being “PUSHED BACK” again, it’s been claimed.
Fury and Usyk, 35 and 36 respectively, were initially set to throw down for all the heavyweight marbles in April but failed to finalise a suitable agreement for both parties.
The duo were then on course to duke it out a multi-million-pound Saudi showdown on December 23 before Team Fury pulled the plug after his horror show against former UFC champ Francis Ngannou last month.
February 17 is the new date for their long-awaited Riyadh Rumble, which Carl Froch reckons may get delayed until March if Fury enjoys himself too much over the upcoming festive period.
The former unified super-middleweight champion said on his YouTube channel: “He’s got a bit of timber on him, a bit of derby that he needs to reign in before the fight.
“I think it’s gonna be a tough one for Tyson to have a good Christmas and New Year, relax, and let his bald head down over Christmas and New Year.
“He’s got a wonderful family, we’ve seen on Netflix. He’s got a big family, his wife and seven children.
“So he’s gonna want to relax and have a good time.
“Is he going to want to be training over Christmas and New Year, which he’s going to have to do, if he’s going to be ready for the February event?
“I’m not so sure, I’ve got a feeling that fight might get pushed back until March. You heard it here first.”
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Froch, like many boxing fans, is hoping Fury doesn’t enjoy too many extra helpings this holiday season and is fighting fit for the historic showdown.
‘The Cobra’ continued: “Hopefully it does happen in February.
“The Tyson Fury–Oleksandr Usyk fight for the unification – for the heavyweight undisputed unification fight – has to happen.
“I’m optimistic it will, I’ve just got my reservations that it’s going to happen in February.”
Froch was one of several vocal critics of Fury’s controversial crossover clash with Ngannou and, like many others, believes he was lucky to have been awarded a split-decision victory.
During an appearance on talkSPORT, he said: “You’ve got Ngannou getting in the ring last night against Fury and we’re thinking he’s making his pro debut but Fury’s the best heavyweight in the world.
“So he’s got no chance, but actually Ngannou was in the fight counterpunching, looking for the jab, he landed that left hook in round three and did he make a mockery of the current heavyweight champion?
“What did Fury do wrong? Fury may have been ill-prepared but he was still behind his jab, still throwing plenty of feints.
“But Ngannou was very very good, I thought. Exceptionally good for a debutant and I didn’t score the fight.
“I certainly watched it, didn’t score it but you get a feel for who you think’s won the fight and with that knockdown in round three I just think Ngannou’s won that fight.”