Oleksandr Usyk Criticizes Tyson Fury’s Father for Unruly Behavior During Team Confrontation

Oleksandr Usyk Criticizes Tyson Fury’s Father for Unruly Behavior During Team Confrontation
Photo by Johann Walter Bantz / Unsplash

In a recent statement, Oleksandr Usyk, holder of the WBO, WBA, IBF, IBO, and The Ring titles, addressed an altercation involving Tyson Fury's father, John Fury, which occurred during a meet-up of the champion teams. Usyk, who has maintained an undefeated record of 21 wins (14 by knockout), expressed his disapproval of the behavior exhibited by the elder Fury.

The incident unfolded as both teams were vocally supporting their respective boxers, with chants of "Usyk, Usyk" coming from the Ukrainian’s side and "Tyson, Tyson" from the Fury camp. According to Usyk, while the mutual support was normal and expected, the situation escalated when John Fury confronted a member of Usyk's team.

"Supporting your team is normal," Usyk explained. "My team supported me and Fury’s team supported him. But what is not acceptable is attacking someone. John Fury yelled, 'Hey, this is disrespectful to my son' and then struck a member of my team."

Usyk clarified that there were no derogatory comments made about Tyson Fury from his side, which made the attack seem even more unjustified. He pointed out the disproportionate response by John Fury, emphasizing the physical difference between his friend and Tyson’s father. "My friend is small, and John is a big man. If John hit him and then walked away, that's bad behavior. It's like a street fight."

The Ukrainian boxer remained personally unbothered by the altercation but highlighted it as an issue that John Fury needs to address. "It doesn’t bother me personally, but it’s a problem for John Fury. I have no questions about it; we all saw what happened."

Usyk’s composed reaction underscores his focus on maintaining professionalism in the highly charged atmosphere of professional boxing, distinguishing his conduct from the actions that led to the controversy.