OLEKSANDR USYK’s team have added safety fears to a list of twists ahead of Saturday’s mega match-up with Tyson Fury.
The Ukrainian’s camp have reportedly filed a complaint that the seam on the ring canvas in Saudi Arabia could be a trip hazard.
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Sky Sports Boxing say his team have registered their concerns over part of the fabric ahead of the first undisputed heavyweight crown bout since 1999.
At the same Riyadh venue two years ago – on the night Usyk landed his second win over Anthony Joshua – Filip Hrgovic and Zhilei Zhang slipped on the mat while talking to the referee.
The canvas controversy continues a dramatic build-up to what Fury has called “the fight for the ages” – one worth well beyond £100million in all.
The Gypsy King, 35, pulled out of a live interview on ITV’s Good Morning Britain on Thursday due to his training schedule.
But that’s nothing compared to what went before as the unbeaten giants of boxing prepare to collide in the Middle East.
Fight week began with Tyson’s dad John headbutting a member of Usyk’s team.
The Brit and his 37-year-old opponent then took to the ring for public workouts on Wednesday.
Usyk played mind games by changing from his typical orthodox stance to southpaw.
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But Fury had a trick of his own as the switch-hitter also boxed southpaw for his routine.
The Gypsy King said: “This is the fight of the ages, nothing can compare with this.
“Not a show fight, not a crossover fight, not YouTube boxing, nothing.
“This is two undefeated world heavyweight championships colliding for all the belts and it hasn’t been done since whenever.”
And in an interview with Sky said: “We both can’t have the destiny of being the undisputed in this era, and we won’t be young enough to go into another era undisputed.
“So it’s D-Day for both fighters.”
Just how high the extraordinary figure that each icon will rake in from their long-awaited and much-delayed encounter is unclear.
But Fury’s US promoter Bob Arum had a mind-boggling take on the sums involved for his man alone.
Arum said: “If you told Tyson Fury that he’s going to make $100million [£78m) he would really be upset because he thinks, and I think he’s right, that he’s going to make a lot more.
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“I don’t know the figure, but it’s a lot more than $100m.”
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