Oleksandr Usyk weight corrected ahead of Tyson Fury showdown
By Duncan Bech, PA, Riyadh
Oleksandr Usyk will be giving away almost three stones to Tyson Fury after it emerged that the wrong weight was read out at least night’s weigh in.
The Ukrainian WBA, IBF and WBO world champion was announced as having tipped the scales at 233lbs when the actual figure was 223lbs.
It means he will enter the ring for tonight’s undisputed world heavyweight fight in Riyadh at 15st 13lbs, considerably lighter than Fury’s 18st 10lbs.
After a week of largely respectful exchanges between Fury and Usyk, the fuse was lit for the Kingdom Arena clash at a fiery weigh in.
Fury shoved the Olympic gold medallist at the final stare down before the unbeaten rivals meet to decide the greatest heavyweight of their generation.
The ‘Gyps King’, the WBC champion, then unleashed a foul-mouthed tirade at Usyk and promised “fireworks”.
“I’m going to knock this little f***er spark out. I’m coming for his heart, that’s what I’m coming for,” Fury said.
“F*** his belts, I’m coming for his f***ing heart. F*** him and f*** all of his team too. F*** the lot of them. They can all get it if they want too, s***houses!”
Fury is seen by bookmakers as the marginal favourite to become the division’s first ruler since Lennox Lewis in 2000.