Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk will almost certainly not be competing for the undisputed heavyweight world championship in the UK, Frank Warren has explained.
Fury and Usyk are likely to make world record purses for their bout, and it would be difficult to make that happen at any UK venue due to the major site fees offered by other countries. If they wanted to get close, Warren said during an appearance on TalkSPORT yesterday, they would need to use Wembley Stadium in London with a 94,000 capacity.
But the teams are eyeing up a fight date as early as December 17, to coincide with the World Cup final, which could potentially feature England this year. Saudi Arabia would be the likely host country, just a seven-hour drive from Lusail City in Qatar where the final would be played the following day.
If they can't strike a deal in time for December 17, they certainly aren't looking to wait until next April or May, which is the next feasible point at which a UK stadium would be worth running. The latest that Warren, as well as Fury's other promoter Bob Arum and Usyk's team, want the fight to happen is February, which would be an untenable time to run an outdoor UK event.
“Do I think it will be made? Yes I do," Warren said. "Usyk’s team and the fighter said immediately after the fight he wants it. I know Tyson wants it. Myself and [US co-promoter] Bob Arum, we want it. It will just be how we make it work financially.
“There will be big demands from both boxers, and rightly so. This is a unique event. This is the biggest heavyweight title fight since Muhammad Ali vs Joe Frazier. It’s a huge fight because both are undefeated, all the belts are there to be won.
"A lot of people have a split opinion on who will win, which is great. This is boxing’s World Cup, our blue riband event. We will make it happen but where it takes place will be determined by finance.”
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The Principality Stadium in Cardiff would be available year-round due to having a roof option, but would have a 20,000-person lower capacity than Wembley, where the bout would need to happen to make monetary sense. It would also require bringing such a major fight to Wales, where neither fighter is from.
“At the end of the day, it’s where the most money can be generated,” Warren continued. “There would be [considerable demand to have the fight in the UK], but where would you put it on? We wouldn’t be able to put it on until next year.
“It’s no good going to the Millennium [Principality] Stadium, it doesn’t hold the same amount of people as Wembley does and can’t generate the same money. If it were to go on in the UK it needs to be Wembley and it can’t go on until the end of April or May next year. We want to get it on before then. While everybody is hot to trot and there are no mandatories force on in the mean time.”
