SUMMARY
- Tyson Fury pulled out of his fight against Oleksandr Usyk due to an injury above his eye.
- The injury was caused during a sparring session by a Croatian heavyweight boxer.
Tyson Fury had to pull out of his fight against Oleksandr Usyk after suffering a brutal cut above his eye during a sparring session. Alleged footage of the exact moment Fury suffered the injury has been leaked. Moreover, Fury’s promoter Frank Warren has claimed it was a Croatian heavyweight boxer who inflicted the injury on Fury. According to TalkSPORT, the boxer is Agron Smakici.
Apparently, an elbow from Smakici caused a brutal cut on Fury’s face that will require stitches. It has ruled him out of his title defense against Ukrainian Usyk. The fight could have ended with the first unified heavyweight champion since 1999. However, it is unknown how long we would have to wait to see that happen.
Agron Smakici!, the man who elbowed Fury‼️🥊 https://t.co/TTXc82OpXJ pic.twitter.com/f8znc478lk
— LondonRunzBoxing (@LondonRunz) February 2, 2024
Zagreb-born Smakici is a 33-year-old southpaw boxer. The 6 ft 6 in boxer has a fantastic record of 20-2 in his 22 fights. He has racked up 18 KO wins. According to BoxRec, he last fought Jozsef Kormany on September 30, 2023, in a TKO win.
Tyson Fury apologized to everyone involved after pulling out of his fight against Oleksandr Usyk
Fury vs Usyk was set to take place two weeks from now on February 17, 2024, in Saudi Arabia. The fight was for the WBA (Super), WBC, IBF, WBO, IBO and The Ring heavyweight titles. The unexpected cancellation of the bout could see several millions of dollars wasted and Fury apologized for all the harm it caused.
In a statement, Fury said: “I am absolutely devastated after preparing for this fight for so long and being in such superb condition. I feel bad for everyone involved in this huge event and I will work diligently towards the rescheduled date once the eye has healed.
View this post on Instagram
“I can only apologise to everyone affected including my own team, Team Usyk, the undercard fighters, partners, and fans as well as our hosts and my friends in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.”
Fury’s promoter Queensberry Promotions officially postponed the fight on February 2, 2024. It is reported that they want to reschedule the fight whenever the doctor deems Fury fit.
An image of the cut above Fury’s eye was circulated on social media. A deep gash that looked like it would immediately need stitches was the cause of Fury’s back-out.
Oleksandr Usyk continued training after Tyson Fury’s announcement
Usyk’s camp was visibly annoyed by Fury’s announcement. They refused to believe the authenticity of his injury. The Ukrainian’s manager Egis Klimas told Sky Sports that Fury “will do anything to not face Usyk” and suggested that maybe Fury was “hit by a frying pan which he asked for”.
Oleksandr Usyk’s promoter Alex Krassyuk leaving a comment on Tyson Fury’s Instagram post after the fight was postponed… pic.twitter.com/DD9XRd4T0D
— Michael Benson (@MichaelBensonn) February 2, 2024
Usyk’s promoter Alex Krassyuk also replied to Fury’s Instagram post with the comment: “Wish you soonest recovery. God sent you a sign. Think of retirement, brother.”
On the other hand, Usyk’s camp also posted an update about the undefeated boxer continuing his training after Fury’s announcement. They are looking to fight on the same night if another opponent can be finalized.