There will be a late change to the judging panel for Tyson Fury’s rematch with Oleksandr Usyk, with one judge withdrawing due to illness – a matter that has led to a dispute between the fighters’ camps.
On Saturday (21 December), Fury will fight Usyk in Riyadh, seven months after losing to the Ukrainian via split decision in the same Saudi city.
Usyk’s victory kept him unbeaten and crowned him the first undisputed heavyweight champion in 24 years, while Fury suffered defeat for the first time.
Their rematch, for the unified titles, is set to be scored by US judge Pat Morley and Puerto Rico’s Gerardo Martinez, who were set to be joined by Fernando Barbosa. But Barbosa withdrew due to illness late on Thursday, before he could fly to Riyadh.
Dan Rafael reported that the American will be replaced by compatriot Steve Weisfeld, who made the journey to Saudi Arabia on Thursday night. But Sky Sports said another official has also made the trip to Riyadh, and that Fury and Usyk’s teams are split on which judge should replace Barbosa.
Fury’s promoter Frank Warren has reportedly suggested that a coin toss should settle the issue, but the commission must find a way to resolve the matter.
In the first contest between Usyk, 37, and Fury, 36, the Ukrainian earned scorecards of 115-112 (judge Manuel Oliver Palomo) and 114-113 (Mike Fitzgerald), while the Briton snatched the other card (114-113, Craig Metcalfe).
The Independent scored the bout 115-112 to Usyk, and most observers agreed that the former cruiserweight king was a rightful winner. Yet Fury accused the judges of favouring Usyk due to Ukraine’s ongoing invasion by Russia.
Saturday’s rematch will also feature an AI judge, according to Saudi adviser Turki Al-Sheikh, though they will not impact the official scoring.
