Tyson Fury's undisputed fight with Oleksandr Usyk must be agreed this week if it is to take place in April.
The 'Gypsy King' defeated Derek Chisora last December and immediately confronted unified champion Usyk over a potential showdown, which would crown the first undisputed king since 1999. There have since been several rounds of talks in a bid to agree the fight which was initially hoped to take place in Saudi Arabia.
But talks have been plunged into fresh doubt recently after neither fighter was able to agree a deal to stage the fight in the Middle East, with Wembley Stadium now being targeted for April 29. And in a fresh update on the current state of negotiations, Fury's promoter Warren has claimed that the situation must be resolved by the end of the week.
“It’s all coming to a head but it’s not done yet,” Warren told talkSPORT in a fresh update on talks from Fury's side of the negotiating table. “You need the agreement of both the boxers to make it happen and at the moment we don’t have it. It's not going to go past the end of this week, that’s for sure.
"The proposed date is April 29 and we have to sort the contract with the venue. At the end of the day I can’t force Usyk to fight and I can’t force Tyson to fight. We want it to happen, everyone wants to see it, nobody wants to see it more than me. Nobody has ever promoted the four belts.
"It would be history making. I think Tyson will win and it will help his legacy but I can’t force it. I have a pot and can only pay what’s in it. If it’s not enough money, then it won’t happen.”
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Fury is intent on facing Usyk as he seeks to unify the entire division in what would be his final achievement in the heavyweight division. The 'Gypsy King' initially suggested he would retire before stating he would make a comeback to tackle Usyk after the Ukrainian's two wins over Anthony Joshua.
A stalemate seems to have been reached in talks and it remains to be seen if the pair can arrange arguably the biggest fight in the sport. But Usyk is convinced that both he and his rival need this contest to prove who is the best in the division. Speaking on The Overlap in partnership with Sky Bet , he said: “I need this fight with Tyson Fury and that’s it.
"He needs it too. This will be like any other fight - it’s a big man who has never lost before against a man who has the WBC belt. Of course, it’s possible to get carried away but this is a normal fight for the right to win all the belts.”
