Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk showdown MUST be sanctioned by April 1 as WBA sets new deadline

WBA Boxing has set an April 1 deadline to sign the unification bout between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk.

There has long been a war of words between the two camps and although a date for a mammoth meeting at Wembley Stadium on April 29 has been discussed, nothing has been confirmed even though there is less than six weeks until that date.

Yesterday, Sportsmail reported that the Ukraine’s manager and longtime agent Egis Klimas had put that date in doubt amid problems in agreeing terms with the Gypsy King.

Klimas said if a deal with Fury could not be struck, Usyk would switch to a mandatory defensive route against fellow British boxer Daniel Dubois.

Now, WBA President Gilberto J. Mendoza has confirmed a deadline for the Fury fight to be agreed and the paperwork to be signed by both parties.

According to WBA Boxing, the fight between Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury has to be agreed by April 1st

WBA President Gilberto J. Mendoza confirmed the contract term on Twitter on Sunday

Mendoza tweeted: ‘Usyk v. Fury Update: @WBABoxing Deadline to receive signed fight contracts is April 1st. Otherwise the Dobouis [sic] Compulsory hearings are ordered.’

It’s another twist in the ongoing saga that appeared to be resolved with Fury confirming the Wembley date as he entered a social media blackout to prepare for the fight.

But Usyk’s team indicated that the date is far from confirmed and that the Dubois route will be considered if the April 29 date does not materialize.

One element of the dispute appears to be the split of the purse, with Fury demanding a 70 per cent stake for his ability to attract players and being backed by UK promoters Queensbury and US promoters Top Rank.

If a deal with Fury doesn’t go through, Usyk will face a mandatory challenge from Daniel Dubois

However, the Ukrainian’s team believe that Top Rank’s involvement has complicated things and that the 36-year-old from Crimea deserves a fair split as he has won WBO, WBA, IBF and IBO championships at the table brings.

A fight between Usyk and Fury would be an opportunity for boxing’s first undisputed heavyweight champion since Lennox Lewis in 2000.

Dubois, 25, has a 19-1 record as a professional fighter, winning 18 of those contests by KO. His only loss was to Joe Joyce in November 2020.

His last game was a technical KO win over Kevin Lerena at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in December.