Oleksandr Usyk has taken issue with the ring canvas ahead of his clash with Tyson Fury, reports talksport.com. The Ukrainian champion is set to finally embark on his quest to become the first undisputed heavyweight champion since 1999 when he takes on Fury tomorrow in Saudi Arabia.
It is a fight that will holdon the same canvas that brought Usyk success in the past, when he edged past Anthony Joshua in the Middle East in September 2021.But the unified champion is unhappy with the ring mat and has complained to officials, according to Sky Sports News.
It is reported that the undefeated star is unhappy with the seams that hold the ring together, and has demanded that action be taken.On the night of Usyk’s rematch win over Joshua, Filip Hrgovic and Zhilei Zhang were seen slipping on the mat while in dialogue with the referee.
It remains to be seen exactly what action could be taken, but it will likely be investigated by officials in Riyadh.Usyk trained on the canvas at Wednesday’s open workouts, where he boxed comfortably with a surprising use of the orthodox stance.
Fury himself has previously lodged a pre-fight enquiry in the past over a ring canvas, when he questioned why the mat was ‘too soft’ before his win over Wladimir Klitschko in 2015.
The fight went ahead and the ‘Gypsy King’ delivered a masterclass on the night, which etched his name in boxing history forever. Fury currently has the WBC while Usyk holds the WBA, IBF and WBO. Therefore, the winner will hold all four belts as undisputed king.
The last man to hold all the belts in the division was Lennox Lewis when he beat Evander Holyfield to add his WBA and IBF titles to the WBC belt before what is now known as the ‘four-belt era’ with the WBO being recognised from 2004.
Usyk will be hoping that he won’t follow the same fate as his fellow countryman, as he looks to dethrone the WBC champion in spectacular fashion. He looks in great shape and has a larger physique, which will see him try to bridge the size gap to his naturally bigger rival.
