Bob Arum is opposed to the rule change for Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk.
A major change which was proposed for Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk WON’T happen, according to Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum.
The blockbuster clash between Fury and Usyk is just a few weeks away as an undisputed heavyweight champion will be crowned in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Fury’s WBC belt and Usyk’s WBA (super), IBF, WBO and The Ring Magazine world heavyweight titles will be on the line when they go to battle on May 18.
Ahead of the championship tilt, WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman suggested SIX judges for Fury vs. Usyk following an ’emergency petition’ that was sent to each sanctioning body, the fighters and the promoters.
But Arum, who promotes Fury in the United States, is opposed to the idea and effectively ruled out having six judges for the undisputed bout.
→ Swipe to see more articles
“You don’t put in something like that for the first time dealing with a major fight from the standpoint of visibility and importance,” the 92-year-old explained.
“Maybe six judges are better than three. I doubt that, but maybe. Nobody knows because it hasn’t been done. But at least you experiment with that with fights that are not as prominent.”
Tyson Fury with Bob Arum at a presser. Image: Getty
The Top Rank boss added: “With all due respect to my friend Mauricio – who’s a really good guy, loves the sport of boxing and has done a great job with the WBC – I wouldn’t do it for this fight. I wouldn’t say that you don’t experiment with it for another fight. I don’t believe the judging becomes better because you have six judges rather than three.”
So, barring any last-minute alteration, there will be three judges scoring Fury vs. Usyk.
The self-proclaimed ‘Gypsy King’ went to a decision in his last fight as he controversially beat former UFC champion Francis Ngannou.
The Ukrainian, meanwhile, hasn’t fought since his stoppage victory over Daniel Dubois last summer.
