Tyson Fury BLANKS Oleksandr Usyk in face off snub as row breaks out over ring

Tyson Fury shunned a face-off with Oleksandr Usyk amid a dispute over the ring conditions for their upcoming undisputed heavyweight world title bout on Saturday.

The pair are set to clash in Saudi Arabia to establish the first four-belt champion in the division. At their penultimate meeting before the fight, Usyk appeared at ease, while Fury, supported by a throng of British fans, chose to gaze into the audience rather than engage with his opponent.

He turned towards the cruiserweight champion but avoided direct eye contact. During the final press conference, Usyk had recited a poem, but Fury was more reserved, opting not to field questions. "I'm going to make this short and simple," he declared. I'm ready for a fight, whether it's tough or easy, I'll be ready. God Bless Usyk, I'll say a prayer for him that we both go home to our families in one piece because that's what it's all about.", reports the Mirror.

Earlier, concerns were raised by Usyk's camp regarding the boxing ring's canvas, specifically the seams, which they feared could trip the fighters. Both had trained in the ring on Wednesday, with Usyk playfully switching to an orthodox stance, sparking psychological warfare. However, his team's worry about the canvas' condition remained unresolved.

Usyk didn't directly address the issue but expressed his excitement for the upcoming fight, stating: "I'm excited and I'm grateful for this fight to be happening. Let's make history. "Tyson, let your hands talk in the ring. " He also suggested that Fury might be feeling nervous about the match, pointing out his opponent's noticeably slimmer physique. However, Fury dismissed any speculation about him being at a career-low weight for the big fight."

"I'll tell you my weight, it's about 19-stone. I wish I was [240/250lb] but I'm around 19-stone. I've been in good shape, I've had two or three camps back to back. People say to me all the time 'You're looking skinny' but I'm weighing the exact same on the scales I've been using for the last 10 years," he said.

Despite appearing in good form, fans were not entirely impressed with Fury's latest body reveal, with some critics advising him to 'lose the love handles'. Despite these comments, Fury will still have a significant size advantage over Usyk, who has consistently weighed in around 220lb for all five of his heavyweight fights since transitioning from cruiserweight.

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