Oleksandr Usyk's team doubt Tyson Fury ever wanted to fight the Ukrainian after talks over a heavyweight title clash broke down.
Usyk's promoter Alexander Krassyuk raised the question after the two camps were unable to compromise on the financial details of the fight, such as any potential rematch purse split.
The pair were due to meet on April 29 at Wembley Stadium, having previously agreed to a 70-30 purse split in favour of Fury.
Usyk's manager, Egis Klimas, confirmed his client had pulled out after seemingly growing frustrated at Fury's continued demands.
In an interview with Sky Sports, promoter Krassyuk explained: "The Usyk side pulled out of further negotiations as the Fury side never had enough [and wanted] to pull everything and all rights to their side, I don't want to go into details as all negotiations were confidential, but I will tell you one thing, when a fighter doesn't want to fight he overprices himself knowing that the fight won't happen.
"They most likely forgot that Usyk is holding the majority of belts in the heavyweight division and Tyson just has one."
Fury only holds the WBC heavyweight title, after his trilogy victory over Deontay Wilder, whereas Usyk holds the WBA, IBF, and WBO belts after twice defeating Anthony Joshua.
Krassyuk added: "They claimed Tyson is a face and must have all the rights, but look at statistics on pay-per-view with Tyson vs Chisora and Usyk vs Chisora and then tell me who is who?"
Last year Fury's fight with Derek Chisora reportedly reached 500,000 pay-per-view sales, under half those supposedly made for when Usyk fought the same opponent in 2020.
A deadline of April 1 for the fight to be agreed had been set by WBA president Gilberto Mendoza, and this latest setback looks likely to put pay to any chance of the event being set before that date.
Conor Benn thrilled with win after ‘going through hell’
Conor Benn hailed his unanimous points victory over Rodolfo Orozco in Florida as the perfect response after “going through hell” outside of the ring.
The 26-year-old returned to the ring for the first time since April 2022 after his provisional doping suspension was lifted.
Benn, who had been out of the ring for 525 days, extended his undefeated run to 22 fights after the judges scored 99-91, 99-91 and 96-94 all in favour of the Englishman.
Benn did not show any signs of early ring rust on his return and dropped the Mexican in the third round before getting other rounds under his belt and a seemingly easy beat down over Orozco.
‘The Destroyer’ was happy to get valuable time in the ring after such a long lay-off and targeted a home fight next time out.
After the fight, he said: “We didn’t want a walk in the park. I needed the rounds after 18 months out.
“He’s a true Mexican, my first Mexican I’ve fought, and we knew he was durable. Credit to him, he’s never been stopped before and he’s one tough man and I hope he progresses.
“They are stronger and take shots more. I don’t think there was ring rust, I was going through the gears after going through hell.
“Britain is my home and it’s only right I fight back there, sooner rather than later.”
Joe Joyce’s career in tatters after brutal third-round knock-out by Zhilei Zhang
Zhilei Zhang delivered a destinating third-round knock-out to win his WBO interim heavyweight title rematch against Joe Joyce at Wembley Arena.
Joyce had been mandatory for Oleksandr Usyk’s WBO heavyweight belt before he lost for the first time in the pro ranks to Zhang in April. The contest was stopped in the sixth round, with Joyce’s right eye badly swollen.
Southpaw Zhang had told the Englishman he was back to end his career and could well have proved true to his words with another chastening defeat for the ‘Juggernaut’, who now faces questions over where he goes from here.
Zhang used his moment of glory to call out Tyson Fury.
He said in his ring-side interview: “To the audience, I want to ask you a question: Do you want to see me shut Tyson Fury up?”
On his performance, he added: “I am happy. Like I said before the fight, it is going to end sooner than the first fight and I did it. Joe, hell of a fighter, respect to him. I like him and respect him, everybody please care for him.”
It was a cagey opening to the rematch, with both men content to find their range without trying to commit too much.
Zhang, the 2008 Olympic silver medallist, was first to land a telling blow in the second round, rocking Joyce with a big left hand before catching the Englishman again with another hook which sent him onto the ropes before the bell.
It remained one-way traffic in the third, Zhang also working the body as Joyce failed to find any response.
Zhang worked Joyce with the left before he delivered the knock-out blow with a powerful right hook which sent Joyce to the canvas – and could well end his hopes in the heavyweight division.
On the undercard, Ilford boxer Anthony Yarde stopped Portugal’s Jorge Silva in the second round to make an impressive return in his first fight since defeat by unified light-heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev.
Dubliner Pierce O’Leary retained the WBC international super-lightweight title with a unanimous decision over Manchester’s Kane Gardner.
Heavyweight prospect Moses Itauma, 18, produced a blistering first-round knock-out of Amine Boucetta for his fifth straight professional win.
Fabian Edwards expects to shed ‘a little tear’ if Bellator title bid succeeds
Fabian Edwards is a calm and composed character at all times but he confessed he could shed “a little tear” if he wins the Bellator middleweight title this weekend.
Edwards takes on the highly rated and undefeated Johnny Eblen at Bellator 299 at Dublin’s 3Arena on Saturday night, bidding to join older brother Leon, the UFC welterweight titlist, as world champion.
The younger Edwards recognises how far he and his sibling have come, from growing up in squalor in Kingston, Jamaica, to taking up mixed martial arts as a means of escaping gang culture in Birmingham.
He told the PA news agency: “I’m not emotional about it at all but on Saturday when I win that belt, I can’t promise you won’t see a little tear. It’s been a long journey.
“It’s really going to mean the world. I keep saying I’d be over the moon and all the usual stuff but I feel you can’t really put it into words.
“Once I go out there and I achieve that goal, I’d need to get a dictionary and look up a word in there that’s going to describe it but I probably won’t be able to find one.”
Despite a tough upbringing, Edwards has never lacked self-belief, even when his career was derailed following back-to-back defeats against Costello van Steenis and Austin Vanderford.
He rebuilt with three successive wins, beating two bona fide titans of the sport in Lyoto Machida and Gegard Mousasi in the process, to earn his shot against Eblen.
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Edwards said: “I thought I’d never lose. I went undefeated for six years. But I still always kept the belief of knowing I was world class and knowing I could get a world title.
“I feel like my tough upbringing could have contributed to my confidence, going from Jamaica to here and even while I’m over here, going through a lot of stuff that’s going to build you to be solid.
“I’m one of those guys who wants to feel f****d in training, I want to mentally push myself to that point where I think ‘f***ing hell’ and then carry on doing it.”
While Eblen has won all 13 of his contests, Edwards suspects his American rival is too full of himself.
Edwards said: “He believes he’s better than what he is in all areas. That’s what going to play right into my hands. When everything starts falling apart in there, it will be too late for him.”
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This is Edwards’ first title opportunity but he was in Salt Lake City 13 months ago when his brother delivered the head kick around the world to win UFC gold, defeating Kamaru Usman in a shock upset.
He added: “If it’s him fighting I’m more nervous and he’s the same when I’m fighting. When you’ve seen someone work so hard, let alone if they’re your family as well, you just want the best for them.
“But my brother always says the same thing, ‘it’s just a fight. Stop trying to build up the moment bigger than what the moment is.’
“I’ll be fighting with all my heart and all of my might to beat this guy, it doesn’t matter what is on the line, when you have that mindset you allow the moment not to get the better of you.”
:: Tune into Bellator 299: Eblen vs Edwards live from the 3Arena, Dublin, on BBC iPlayer from 9pm on Saturday 23rd September
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