The much-speculated fight between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk has reportedly been called off, according to the Ukrainian boxer’s manager, Egis Klimas.
As per SNAC and Ring magazine writer Steve Kim, who had a phone call with Klimas on Tuesday, the fight scheduled for 29 April this year has now been postponed indefinitely, adding that Usyk and his team must “pursue their mandatory obligations” first, i.e. the fight against challenger Daniel Dubois.
Fight fans will be frustrated as the fighters were said to have been given a 10 March deadline to reach an agreement over the bout — with Fury offering a 70/30 split — however, it appears that only a ‘tentative agreement’ was ever reached and the WBA now expect Usyk to fight dubois before the WBC champion.
Kim went on to quote Klimas as having insisted that “no matter how much Usyk compromised, he was pushed for more” from Fury’s camp ahead of the final deadline on April 1, stating “enough is enough” and that they are now eyeing up a return in June/July. This does all feel like a bit of an early April Fool’s.
Just got off the horn with Egis Klimas, he says that team Usyk is moving off the Fury fight for April 29th, and will now pursue their mandatory obligations. "No matter how much Usyk compromised, he was pushed for more." They hope to have him back in June/July #boxing
— Steve Kim – the Thomas Sowell of Boxing (@SteveKim323) March 22, 2023
These claims have since been backed up by ESPN‘s Mike Coppinger, who explained that the final Fury vs Usyk talks ultaimtely collapsed because they “couldn’t agree on other material terms critical to the deal beyond the purse split”.
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While it is unclear as to the exact terms being argued over, Usyk informed his follwers earlier this month that he agreed to the inital 70/30 split on the one proviso that he donate £1 million to the Ukraine relief fund along with 1% of his total winnings, dubbing Fury a “greedy belly” in a video message.
The 36-year-old also dispute Fury’s claims that his camp asked for a rematch clause, insisting that the suggestions came from the home team. Either way, it meant that the fight at Wembley on 29 April would have likely been the first in what would have gone on to be a trilogy fight.
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Nevertheless, despite being ‘agreed’ as early as December 2022, many feel the pair have played boxing fans, with the likes of Dana White criticising the fight and the sport in general, stating: “that is boxing… the big fights that should happen never happen and when they do it’s always [too] late”.
The proposed four-belt clash would see Usyk put all three of his his IBF, WBO and WBA titles on the line to try and claim Fury’s WBC belt to crown an undisputed heavyweight champion for the first time in the divsion since Lennox Lewis from 1999 to 2000.
Although the Fury vs Usyk will likely go ahead at some point, the entire situation does bear a striking resemblance to the Manc boxer’s previous fight palava with Anthony Joshua, where the deadline for the fight was delayed so long that not only did the interest expire but so did the window of opportunity.
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Here’s hoping they dont wait as long to sort this one out.
Exciting new CGIs released of £500m Therme Manchester wellness resort as construction continues
Emily Sergeant
As construction continues on Manchester’s massive wellness resort, some new CGIs have now been released.
In case you need bringing up to speed, construction of the £500 million Therme Manchester wellness resort officially began last September after several years of planning, and now developers have released some exciting new CGIs – with an update on how construction is going, as a new milestone has been reached this week.
Set to open to the public in 2029, Therme Manchester will become one of the largest urban wellbeing resorts in the world.
Visitors can expect to make the most of a 10 pools – both lagoon and wave pools included – thermal bathing, multi-sensory sauna rituals, steam rooms, 18 water slides, affordably-priced luxury spa therapies, and health and fitness experiences.
Exciting new CGIs released of Therme Manchester have been released / Credit: Supplied
At the heart of Therme Manchester will be three distinct zones, each offering a different way to spend time at the resort.
Play will bring together water-based fun and attractions for families and visitors of all ages, and Restore will focus on thermal bathing and restorative experiences designed to help visitors unwind, while Relax will offer spaces for relaxation and wellbeing.
The latest CGIs showcase the design as it develops – including the resort’s extensive indoor and outdoor spaces, and its 53,000sq ft wellbeing garden.
Construction is still underway on the £500m wellness resort / Credit: Supplied
The plans also feature a new public plaza designed to strengthen connections between the resort and the Bridgewater Canal.
Professor David Russell, CEO of Therme UK, said: “We have taken the opportunity to refine the design, improve how traffic and parking are managed and create a more welcoming environment for everyone arriving at the resort.
“We are creating an even better experience for visitors while supporting more efficient and sustainable operations.”
Therme Manchester was initially touted as a £250m project that would complete in 2025, but it’s now up to £500m and is scheduled to complete it 2029.
It marks one of the most significant building developments to ever take place in the North.
Featured Image – Supplied
Sport
Manchester City release limited-edition Blossoms shirts exclusively in new flagship store
Daisy Jackson
Manchester City have released a limited run of special Blossoms shirts, which will be available exclusively at the new flagship City Store.
Etihad Airways has donated the front-of-shirt space for the special drop, which celebrates the Stockport band’s lifelong support of Man City and will fundraise forCity in the Community’s 40th anniversary.
The Manchester City x Blossoms collab features the band’s logo across the chest of the 2024/25 season’s away shirt – one of the Club’s most popular designs in recent years.
Profits from sales of the shirts will be donated to CITC to support its 40th anniversary fundraising, which empower healthier lives with city youth through football.
Blossoms have just secured their fifth UK number one album with their latest release, ‘Songs From The Wedding Cake’, and will soon be heading on an arena tour that includes two massive shows at the Co-op Live.
There’s a very limited run of the Man City Blossoms shirts, available in sizes small to large, which will exclusively be sold at the new flagship CityStore.
The shirts have dropped in-store this morning, with further drops to be released around the band’s tour dates this November and December.
As for that new City store – it’s a whopping 21,000 sq ft, three-floor space at Medlock Square, right beside the Etihad Stadium, and is the biggest shop in the club’s history.
The new flagship has opened today in collaboration with PUMA and Stichd, and features a new, interactive ‘Make It Yours’ customisation station as well as an expanded range of Manchester City products.
Danny Jones -
22nd March 2023 
