Oleksandr Usyk’s camp are demanding that Tyson Fury shaves his beard ahead of their mega rematch on Saturday night, claiming it ‘violates’ boxing rules.
Fury, who is aiming to avenge his defeat to Usyk from earlier this year, has sported an impressive beard in Saudi Arabia during fight week.
In a statement released on the eve of the fight, Usyk’s promoter Alex Krassyuk said: ‘[The] beard rule is grossly violated.
‘WBC rules clearly say: “A boxer may spouse a trimmed beard and/or moustache as long as, in the discretion of the commission and the supervisor, the facial hair thickness does not: (1) cushion or in any way affect the impact or trajectory of punches; or (2) cause cuts or abrasions to his rival.”
‘So, Tyson Fury’s beard has to be trimmed. We will push it further.’
Fury’s promoter Frank Warren attempted to downplay the remarks from Team Usyk and said it was not uncommon for bearded boxers to enter the ring.
‘He has a beard and there’s been a lot of fighters over the years who’ve fought with beards, and that’s it,’ he told Sky Sports.
While Usyk’s representatives appear displeased by Fury’s look, the man himself has also downplayed the surprising talking point.
‘For me it doesn’t matter, for me,’ he told iFL TV shortly after the weigh-ins on Friday night. ‘It will not help Tyson Fury.’
Fury has kept his cards close to his chest during fight week but vowed to do some ‘f*****g damage’ as he prepares to re-enter the ring with Usyk in a mega rematch.
‘I’ve got nothing to say, apart from there’s going to be a whole lot of hurt and pain in this fight you watch,’ the Brit said.
‘That’s all I got to say. Talking’s been done. You know, the first fight I talked, I joked, through all my career.
‘This time I’m serious. I’m going to do some f*****g damage here on Saturday night. Watch me go to work on this f*****.’
Fury, 36, weighed in a career-high 20st 1lb for Saturday’s bout at Riyadh’s Kingdom Arena. Usyk, 37, is exactly four stone lighter.
A bizarre face-off between the two fighters on Thursday night lasted more than ten minutes.
A victory for Fury could pave the way for a trilogy fight against Ukrainian Usyk or bouts with British rivals Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois.
British boxing legend Lennox Lewis expects Fury to overturn his defeat in the first fight but only if he takes it ‘seriously’.
‘Tyson Fury wins this because he is the bigger man,’ Lewis told BBC Sport. ‘He will use his jab and needs to throw more punches than the first fight.
‘He can’t muck around and needs to be totally serious. Usyk is good at making you pay. He moves well and that movement is to make you miss and then make you pay.
‘It’s not easy to move around the ring for 12 rounds and I think it will come down to who seizes the moment, who has the best stamina and who punches the most accurate.’
This weekend’s heavyweight world title fight between Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury is available to purchase on DAZN.
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