May 17th 2024.
On Thursday night, Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk finally came face to face, with the chance to make history in the heavyweight boxing world on the line. It's been 25 years since the division had one sole world champion, a feat achieved by Lennox Lewis against Evander Holyfield. Now, Usyk, the current WBO, WBA, and IBF champion, defends his titles for the third time, having already defeated two British heavyweights, Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois.
Meanwhile, Fury holds the WBC belt and is determined to take back the three titles he initially claimed from Wladimir Klitschko in 2015. The highly-anticipated fight was supposed to take place last year, but due to Fury's grueling match against Francis Ngannou and a cut suffered in training, it was postponed. And now, with the world watching, the tension between the two fighters is palpable.
During the final press conference on Thursday, Fury refused to look Usyk in the eye during their staredown on stage, choosing instead to face the crowd. The tension will only continue to build as we count down to the opening bell on Saturday night.
For those wondering, Fury vs Usyk will take place in Riyhad, Saudi Arabia, on Saturday, May 18. The main event is scheduled to start at 6pm BST, with the ringwalks expected to happen around 11pm. The fight will be available on PPV through DAZN, Sky Sports, and TNT Sports.
The undercard for Fury vs Usyk features two world title fights, including Jai Opetaia vs Mairis Briedis for the vacant IBF cruiserweight title and Joe Cordina vs Anthony Cacace for the IBF and IBO super-featherweight titles. There is also an exciting heavyweight matchup between Agit Kabayel and Frank Sanchez.
As for the odds, the fight is proving to be a close one, with both fighters evenly matched. Fury is currently listed at 10/11 to win, while Usyk is also at 10/11. A draw is listed at 14/1. And in terms of the fight purse, it's estimated to be around €150 million, with Fury expected to take home 70% of that figure.
It's safe to say that a rematch between these two is highly likely, with Saudi boxing chief Turki Alalshikh already confirming a potential date of October 12/13. But for now, all eyes are on Saturday night as Fury and Usyk battle it out for the heavyweight boxing crown.
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