Tensions are high and the people wait with bated breath as Tyson Fury and Oleksandr take the stage on Saturday night. In what will be a historic contest, the two heavyweight boxers will throw down to determine who’s the best of the best. As expected, the fight will also yield them adequate compensation as well.
For those unaware, Tyson Fury takes on Oleksandr Usyk in what will be the first title unification fight in three decades. With all the belts on the line, an undisputed heavyweight champion of the world will be decided, for the first time since Lennox Lewis in 1999. As such, it is quite possibly, the biggest boxing fight of the year and the build-up and hype around it suggest the same.
THE RING OF FIRE AWAITS. TOMORROW 👑🔥#FuryUsyk | MAY 18 12PM ET | @ESPNPlus PPV pic.twitter.com/7tLDX8rti3
— Top Rank Boxing (@trboxing) May 17, 2024
That said, the fight has not been an easy one to put together, owing to numerous hitches and delays along the way. Owing to an injury during sparring, Tyson Fury was forced to pull out of the original date in February, leading to it being pushed to May 18, 2024. Now with almost all the fight week obligations wrapped up, it is finally go time.
How much will Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk make for their upcoming fight?
Naturally, a big point of discussion in the leadup to any big fight is how much money the fighters will be making. Seeing that the fight is promoted by the likes of Matchroom Boxing, Top Rank Boxing, and Queensberry Promotions, and is part of Riyadh Season, one can expect all the bells and whistles to come out for this one. Not only are we set to witness some great fights, but there will also be a concert before the main event.
As the two main men go to work at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, they will bank what is set to be their respective career-high paydays. Despite Oleksandr Usyk holding the WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, IBO, and The Ring heavyweight titles as opposed to Fury’s WBC title, there will be a 70-30 purse split in the Englishman’s favor. Understandably, it has been a big point of contention in the negotiations for this fight.
🔹Usyk = 3 Belts
🔹Tyson Fury = 1 belt
🔹Purse Split: 70-30 to Tyson Fury pic.twitter.com/jCNod7JjWe— Boxing Kingdom (@BoxingKingdom14) May 17, 2024
Reportedly, Usyk has agreed to the split, on the terms that Fury will donate £1m or $1.2 million as aid for Ukraine. Although it may seem like a lot, sources suggest that Tyson Fury is set to earn a mind-boggling $150million (£116m) for the fight. On the other hand, Usyk’s final payout is expected to be around the $40 million mark.
Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk’s previous payouts
For the most part, neither fighter is a stranger to high purse payouts throughout the course of their careers. Whilst Oleksandr Usyk made it to the big leagues later on in his career, he has still managed to make a lot of money. Since his move up to heavyweight, Usyk made $2.3 million for his fight against Derek Chisora. Thereafter, the two fights against Anthony Johua are said to have fetched him $20 million and $42 million respectively.
That said, his latest fight against Daniel Dubois yielded him an additional $6 million as well. On the other hand, Tyson Fury has had a long list of big payouts throughout his career. After making $3 million in the first fight against Deontay Wilder, Fury would pocket $35 million and $30 million for the second and third fights respectively. Similarly, his purse against Dillian Whyte in 2022 was reported to be $29.1 million.
However, for his latest fight against Francis Ngannou, ‘The Gypsy King’ took home a then career-high payday of $62 million. Clearly, the involvement of Turki Alalshikh and the Saudis has benefitted the boxers as they are finally receiving what they are owed. Considering the payouts for the fighters this time around, it will be interesting to see what their payouts will be for the rematch.