Oleksandr Usyk has made a public plea for "drunk" Tyson Fury to accept an undisputed heavyweight title clash.
Usyk recently picked up a rematch victory over Fury's bitter rival Anthony Joshua and immediately called for a fight against Fury who holds the final belt in his undisputed heavyweight title quest. Fury quickly responded by confirming his plans to cut retirement short and negotiate the fight but after extensive rounds of talks, it was confirmed the fight would be put on hold until next year.
A framework has already been put in place to make the fight, but it will now depend on Fury progressing beyond Derek Chisora on December 3 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Usyk elected to take a break to recover following his clash with Joshua back in August, but is now ready to prove he is the best in the division.
"I'm appealing to Tyson Fury," Usyk told Seconds Out when addressing when a fight with Fury could potentially take place. "Hey, Tyson, borracho [Spanish for drunk], let's make it happen. Hey borracho, let's fight, let's determine who is the best in the division, who is the best in the world. Borracho, Tyson Fury, you borracho. Tyson Fury is our biggest priority. I was asked who I'd also like to fight, I mentioned Deontay Wilder.
"Now people try to say my next opponent is Wilder. No, not true. My next opponent is Fury. After I defeat him, I will discuss with Deontay. My fight with Joshua took place on August 20 so the second fight [with Fury] had to be moved a little bit so I could recover my body and restore my resources like a normal person would to get back in the ring. That is the only reason this fight is not happening this year.
"I respect Tyson Fury he is a good athlete and a nice sportsman. I want to clear one more thing up a fight with Tyson Fury is our biggest priority at the moment and this fight will happen if he beats his opponent Derek Chisora."
Who wins if the pair meet - Tyson Fury or Oleksandr Usyk? Let us know in the comments section below
Fury hit out at Usyk repeatedly during the press conference for his upcoming clash with Chisora, accusing him of avoiding their clash but it appears the fight is now on track to take place next year. The 'Gypsy King' was going to face Joshua later this year but that showdown also collapsed leaving the door wide open for a date to be sealed in spring 2023.
The Briton's promoter Frank Warren provided an update on negotiations and said: "I do not expect Usyk to vacate his WBO belt, I expect him to fight Tyson providing he comes through this December. There is not a date as of yet this is why we are getting Tyson to do this fight [against Chisora] but hopefully it will be at the end of February or in early March. We are working on a number of various sites and we will see where it lands."
