By: Sean Crose
“What really killed the deal,” Oleksandr Usyk’s manager, Egis Klimas, told Reuters. In This Corner podcast, “[was]when Fury’s men came back and said, ‘We’re going to count the rematch, but if Usyk wins it’ll go that way and then we’ll split 50/50.’” Klimas is addressing the details of a potential rematch that derails the undisputed heavyweight belt war between WBA, IBF and WBO champion Usyk and WBC and online heavyweight champion Tyson Fury.
“We are doing 70/30 now,” Klimas explained, “but if Usyk wins and Usyk has all four belts, we will do 50/50, and if Usyk loses, we will do 80/20.” In other words, Usyk will take 30% of the match profit with Fury while Fury will take 70%. Then, if Usyk wins and there is a rematch, the profit will be split 50/50. But if Fury wins and has a rematch, the profits will be split between Fury, 80% to 20%. It was an offer that proved overwhelming for Team Usyk (at least according to Klimas).
After agreeing to a 70/30 split for the first fight, Usyk ended up being offered a short clubhead. “I told all the negotiators: This is going to be a deal breaker,’” Klimas said. ‘”You put Usyk in saddle and you think he accepts 30/70, so he takes everything you throw at him.” Klimas claims that he told Team Fury they were on thin ice. “I said: ‘You’re going to break a deal. It’s a deal breaker right now. Team Fury asked Klimas to pass the offer on to Usyk regardless.
“When Ksyk heard about it,” Klimas continued, “he said: That’s it. I’m out,” and he said, “And I’m definitely out, seriously. I can not take it anymore. This is too much, too offensive(ing). I don’t want to hear it. I’m packing up my things. I will return home with my family. I’m going.” As Klimas says, Team Fury doesn’t believe Usyk is seriously reneging on the deal. “No one believed me,” Klimas said. “I said, ‘No, you don’t understand what I’m saying. The deal is over.”
And indeed it was.
