The real story behind the Fury vs Usyk negotiations

Alex Pattle unpicks the will they, won’t they title bout

- Alex Pattle

Tyson Fury had barely finished giving Derek Chisora a half sincere pat on the back when he felt the incision from two daggered eyes - lurking underneath a cap, somewhere in his periphery, and floating towards him. As a zombified Chisora trudged out of sight, Oleksandr Usyk ascended the ring steps like Hades emerging from the underworld, seeking his next soul. And as Fury spat insults at the unified heavyweight champion, a serrated smile split Usyk's lips.

That was the Ukrainian's first meeting with the WBC champion in a London stadium, but it was not supposed to be his last. It was not supposed to be this difficult.

Fans were told that, within six months of Fury's unnecessary, uncomfortable victory over Chisora at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the Gypsy King and Usyk would collide and crown an undisputed champion. Wembley Stadium was to be the site, 29 April was to be the date.

At 10am yesterday morning, that bout was called off. By 12pm, it was apparently back on. It was not supposed to be this difficult.

Fury's barely-tepid trilogy bout with Chisora in December was the back-up to a potential, generational showdown with Anthony Joshua. That clash collapsed, according to Fury, because of unrealistic terms from AJ's side. It was a suspicious accusation, given Joshua - still recovering from his second straight loss to Usyk - had seemingly shrugged his shoulders and said "Why the hell not?" to a fight with Fury, a year-and-a-half after the last failure to create the contest.

Based on form and history, the likeliest outcome in December would have been defeat for Joshua and victory for Fury; yet it was the former who seemed most willing to make the fight, approaching the bout against his fellow Briton with a nothing-to lose mentality, when all signs suggested that a loss would be the death knell for Joshua's career. Instead, failed negotiations marked the death knell for Fury vs Joshua.