The Mancunian wants at least $590 million to step into the ring with the Ukrainian.
Tyson Fury has again confirmed that he is willing to come out of retirement to defend his WBC heavyweight championship belt against WBA, WBO and IBF king Aleksandr Usyk – but only if promoters compensate him with a huge £500 million ($590 million) pay packet.
Fury retired for the second time this year around a fortnight ago, but was enthused to get his gloves on again after seeing Usyk beat Anthony Joshua in a rematch in Jeddah on Saturday as the Ukrainian defended the belts that he won from the Brit last September.
In an Instagram address on Tuesday, Fury stressed that the “world’s biggest fight” has to be for “the world’s biggest money” if he is to “put it all on the line” against “some unknown foreigner” in Usyk.
“Boys, better get that half a billy. If not, keep that little mug,” he added, as well as stating that if the fight were to be made against Joshua, he would do it for free.
“Only powers in the water GK,” Fury signed off, in reference to his ring name the ‘Gypsy King’.
???? @Tyson_Fury has reiterated on his Instagram that it will take “half a billy” for him to face Oleksandr Usyk. #TysonFury #OleksandrUsyk pic.twitter.com/blmXEfb3DF
— IFL TV (@IFLTV) August 23, 2022
In another social media post on Wednesday morning, Fury reiterated his stance by addressing all the “suitors out there” that want to make the fight, which will crown the four-belt era’s first ever undisputed heavyweight champion.
“I’m gonna give you all seven days – ’til September 1 – to come up with the money,” Fury stated.
“If not, thank you very much it’s been a blast!”
In a separate appearance on TalkSPORT, Fury confirmed that he will come back but that it “has to be for an obscene amount of money”.
“This isn’t Anthony Joshua – where I would have done the fight for free in England – it is some foreigner who no-one really cares about.
“If they want me to fight this unknown quantity and give him the chance of legendary status in trying to beat me, they have to pay for it,” Fury insisted.
.@frankwarren_tv @trboxing @espn @WBCBoxing pic.twitter.com/wQHKjXgm7S
— TYSON FURY (@Tyson_Fury) August 24, 2022
“This fight is purely about money. I’m happily retired, I don’t need money I’ve got plenty of money. If they want to see the Gypsy King fight then they have to pay obscene amounts of money.
“It’s the biggest fight in the world, it needs to be the biggest pay-day in the world. [Floyd] Mayweather got 400 million for [Manny] Pacquaio. I want 500 million for Usyk,” the Mancunian underlined.
Fury is facing his own deadline and has until August 26 to inform the WBC of his next steps as confirmed by its president Mauricio Sulaiman to Sky Sports.
“Tyson Fury is the WBC champion of the world, he’s not holding the ‘other belt’, he’s holding the WBC Championship which is the Championship of Muhammed Ali, George Foreman, Frazier, Tyson, Lennox Lewis etc.
“I’m very proud of Tyson Fury, he’s a tremendous fighter and I am sure he wishes to continue boxing and a fight to unify all the championships in the division would be tremendous,” Sulaiman said.
Promoter discusses Usyk-Fury ‘superfight’ plansREAD MORE: Promoter discusses Usyk-Fury ‘superfight’ plans
Specifying the date of when Fury must send written confirmation on what he has decided to do, Sulaiman added that it was his personal opinion that boxing “is going through a great stage” therefore making it “great to see Fury against Usyk in the ultimate unification of the division”.
After seeing off Joshua in Saudi Arabia, Usyk also showed an interest in taking on Fury.
“I am convinced he wants to fight me. That is what he is dreaming of every day,” said the 35-year-old.
“I want to fight him. And if I’m not fighting Tyson Fury, I’m not fighting at all. I am going to beat his a**.”
In Fury’s view, though, December 17, when the fight is tipped to take place the day before the Qatar 2022 World Cup final. should provide a straightforward night’s work.
“All of the ‘pound-for-pound legendary status’ – I don’t rate him. He will get a good hiding,” Fury predicted to TalkSPORT.
“Let me tell you, I could beat Usyk on a week’s training because he’s a middleweight, I’ll put my fist right through him… It’s an easy fight,” he promised.
