Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk close to being confirmed for Wembley on April 29 as Arum says Saudi Arabia CAN’T host fight
TYSON FURY and Oleksandr Usyk’s undisputed title fight is close to being confirmed for April 29 at Wembley stadium.
Fury’s promoter Bob Arum has confirmed Saudi Arabia is OUT of the equation to host the first ever four-belt heavyweight unification.
Instead talks are progressing for a deal in the capital with an announcement targeted for next week.
Arum told iD Boxing: “We’re looking to put the fight at Wembley stadium and we’re getting close with the negotiations with both Usyk and his promoter K2 and with Tyson.
“So hopefully we can get busy with that fight as early as next week and get the thing going.
“We would like very much to do a press conference not only in London but to bring the fighters over to New York and to do a press conference in New York as well.”
The Middle East were frontrunners to host the historic title unification but Arum confirmed they cannot accommodate a fight on their target date in April.
He said: “The Saudi money is not realistic because Saudi Arabia is not available to do that fight in the time period which is required by the organisations.”
Fury, 34, and Usyk, 36, were left to thrash out purses with organisers in Saudi before the venue was ruled out.
Now both stars will have to agree a financial split of a smaller amount on offer to fight in the UK.
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Usyk’s promoter Alex Krassyuk has publicly refused to budge on anything less than a 50/50 split.
But Fury’s side argue that, as the bigger attraction, he is deserving of a bigger slice – but Arum will not negotiate in the open.
He said: “I am not going to talk about percentages or statements because once you start negotiating in the press it all falls apart.
“Because then, the ego of people come to the fore and that trumps common sense.
“So lets us be, let it be behind the scenes, I’m sure we’ll put it together and hopefully have an announcement shortly.”
