John Fury has heaped blame on the promoters for the collapse of Tyson Fury's undisputed clash with Oleksandr Usyk.
WBC champion Fury was set to step in the ring with unified king Usyk on April 29 at Wembley Stadium with public terms agreed for a heavyweight clash for all the marbles. However after months of negotiations, the fight broke down with both men left with nothing. Usyk walked away from the negotiating table following Fury's public demands on social media.
Both sides have heaped blame on the other, with Usyk suggesting Fury's demands were unreasonable while the British star blamed his rival in a heated rant on social media. However Fury's father John believes the fighters were prevented from bringing the fight to the fans after proceedings became complicated by money.
"I just think basically Usyk's team have had a better offer from Saudi and I wouldn't be surprised if he boxes Deontay Wilder for them belts," Fury Sr told Mirror Fighting in an exclusive chat courtesy of FreeBets.com. "Usyk was going to earn 30 per cent to box Tyson and that is still a lot of money. That is probably his career-highest payday, Tyson brings in the people and the numbers and he was engaging in that fight.
"Tyson just wanted to box in the UK and he would take his lowest payday ever. I know what the Saudi's offered him because he told me. Money speaks all languages, I think there has been a bit of greed coming from promoters. Especially Usyk's lot, because to pull out over a rematch clause and I know the truth over that. Tyson just said 'okay give them what they want'. If both boys think they are going to win why not just fight?
"I just think in my own mind that he thought Tyson didn't want to fight him which is absolutely ridiculous. It is not the fighters, it is the promoters and the people who put these fights together. They make it complicated and they are thinking about what they can get out of it. They want as much money as they can make, so that is why the fights don't take place."
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Top Rank via Getty Images)Fury will now be out of action likely until the summer after another frustrating period of negotiation fell at the final hurdle. Meanwhile Usyk will likely now be ordered to face WBA mandatory challenger Daniel Dubois in a defence later this year, while Fury remains open to options.
Fury's dad John has even suggested his own promoter Frank Warren could be to blame and see his son's loyalty to him tested. "Frank Warren again he is in a no lose situation," he continued. "So unless Frank accepts step-aside money, but this will show me where he is at. If he shows loyalty he will put his man in, if he takes step-aside money he will go down a lot in my estimation.
"I just think Tyson and the British public have been cheated out of the unification bout by the greedy people. If they can make ten times more in Saudi so be it, but again the fans lose out. It is a disaster."