Usyk’s Promoter Tells Fury To Retire Following His Second Pull Out – ‘God Sent You A Sign’
Oleksandr Usyk’s promoter, Alex Krassyuk, has told Tyson Fury to retire.
His comments come in the aftermath of Fury pulling out of his Undisputed Heavyweight Championship bout with Usyk. They were set to square off on February 17, but Fury pulled out after suffering a big cut over his right eye in sparring.
The cut will likely keep him out for several months, with no definite date set for his return. Although Frank Warren expects the fight to happen eventually, Krassyuk has called on Fury to retire.
Krassyuk On Fury
“Wish you the soonest recovery. God sent you a sign. Think of retirement, brother,” Krassyuk said
The cut is part of the broader narrative that Fury was not in the best shape. Several rumors emerged that he had been dropped in sparring. Jai Opetaia was alleged to have dropped Fury after he left camp after just five days.
Opetaia’s team dismissed those reports, but this incident was not isolated. Johnny Nelson doubled down on those rumors, claiming he had heard Fury was getting ‘turned over’ in camp. Once again, that increased the narrative that Fury was no longer the same fighter following the Francis Ngannou fight.
Fury Knocked Out
“I’m hearing rumours of what’s happening in camp – I’m hearing that he’s getting turned over in the gym. So this thing about appetite when he’s in the gym, I mean, he got shown his a***.“ I’m hearing these things and I’m thinking has he taken his eye off the ball, or has time caught up with him?
“The reason why I said ‘the legs are gone’ line is that I remember Tony Bellew saying it about David Haye and at first I was like ‘what?’, but when I saw it I knew what he was talking about. “I might be saying something that might not be too popular – I expect him to win, I just think he dropped the ball in the last fight. “These rumours I’m hearing, I hope they’re just rumours set about by him,” Nelson said
Fury’s History
This is, unfortunately, the second time that Fury has pulled out of the Usyk fight. It was first meant to take place on December 23, 2023. The Gypsy King withdrew after his fight with Francis Ngannou. The WBC Champion took several blows, which resulted in bruises and cuts, as he hit the canvas in the third round.
Despite winning the fight with a split decision, the perception was that Fury’s three fights with Deontay Wilder had taken it out of him. This is also the second time Fury has had a big cut over his eye, the first against Otto Wallin.
Fury was bleeding heavily and was lucky not to get the fight stopped. While he came through with a unanimous decision win, Fury changed his trainer and tactics, becoming a more offensive fighter under SugarHill Steward as Ben Davidson left his camp. But with boxing fans having waited since 1999 for an Undisputed Heavyweight Champion, the news could not have come at a worse time.
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