Oleksandr Usyk’s team talks back after Tyson Fury’s challenge, following the Anthony Joshua fight falling through.
Oleksandr Usyk’s team has fired back at Tyson Fury after his latest social media challenge. Even though there were many promises that the big British fight between Fury and Joshua would happen this year, Fury recently said the fight is off.
In a social media video, Fury said Joshua wasn’t ready to fight and instead called out Usyk, which led to a strong reply from Usyk’s side.
Fury said: “Looks like AJ has backed out again after 11 years. So now, I’m calling out Oleksandr Usyk. Oleksandr, you’re his coach and you know he’s not brave enough to fight me — but you’ve already done it twice, which is tough.
“You got the wins last time, good for you. But let’s do it again, maybe in November. Oleksandr, do you want to fight me in 2026 or are you done?”
In their two fights before, Fury lost to Usyk both times by unanimous decision. Fury said he was unfairly judged and wants a third fight, which Usyk has said he might consider, possibly as his last fight.
However, Usyk’s manager Sergey Lapin quickly shut down Fury’s hopes for a rematch, telling Sky Sports News: “Usyk is not Tyson’s backup plan. If Fury needs a fight, he should try the Ready to Fight platform to find a real opponent.
“Oleksandr is open to big challenges, but only if there’s a serious offer, not just words in the press.”
In June, Usyk gave up his three heavyweight belts but said he’s not retiring yet. He has been helping Joshua train for the possible Fury fight later this year, so if Usyk and Fury meet again, it might happen as part of the lead-up to the Joshua fight.
Right now, it’s unclear how much of Fury’s claim that the Joshua fight is off is true. Fury is known for making bold statements on social media to shake up negotiations. The fight is stalled mainly because of disagreements about the venue—Joshua’s promoter wants it in London, while Fury says that’s just an excuse to avoid fighting.
That said, both fighters have signed contracts, so there’s still a good chance the fight will happen sometime soon.