Oleksandr Usyk’s promoter, Alex Krassyuk, has taken precautionary measures by securing a replacement fighter for Tyson Fury in case the Brit decides to pull out of their highly anticipated undisputed heavyweight clash once again. Filip Hrgovic, the IBF mandatory challenger, will step into the ring on May 18th to face Usyk if Fury withdraws. Krassyuk has expressed concerns that Fury could potentially postpone the fight for a second time, prompting him to make arrangements with Hrgovic.
“The IBF mandatory Filip Hrgovic will be the replacement if [Fury] does it again,” Krassyuk told Boxing Scene. “He is getting ready for Daniel Dubois on June 1, but instead he will have to be ready on May 18 to replace Tyson for any reason. Otherwise we will lose the [IBF] title. It was one of our conditions.”
Krassyuk emphasized the significance of the undisputed status, stating that it holds more value than financial gains. He questioned Fury’s commitment to the fight, citing the boxer’s previous withdrawals and his alleged lack of enthusiasm for undisputed status. Fury has not fought since his controversial victory over former UFC champion Francis Ngannou, while Usyk last defended his unified world titles with a stoppage win against Daniel Dubois.
Krassyuk expressed doubts about the possibility of a two-fight deal between Fury and Usyk, given Fury’s history of withdrawing from the fight. He revealed that Usyk has endured three training camps in preparation for this fight, highlighting the dedication and commitment of his team.
“Usyk has actually had a triple camp for this fight,” Krassyuk added. “He started in September for the fight to take place last December. We showed up to the [Francis] Ngannou fight to step in the ring to announce the fight for the undisputed, but his team jumped and said he didn’t look that good, so Usyk gave him some space to prepare at his camp in Saudi Arabia.”
“We were then meant to fight on Feb 17, then we were rescheduled for May. Tyson Fury has withdrawn four times already from this fight. Remember that we were looking to fight last April; he pulled out of it then, too. That’s why we fought Daniel Dubois. This will be the fourth camp we have had for Tyson Fury.”
