Usyk Dismisses Fury's Trilogy Talk Amid Joshua Stalemate
Tyson Fury’s search for a new dance partner has led him back to an old name. Oleksandr Usyk’s answer was swift – and cold.
With the long-promised all-British showdown against Anthony Joshua stuck in yet another wrangle over venue, Fury went public on Monday, declaring on social media that he is “now looking for a new opponent” and calling for a third fight with the man who took everything from him in 2024.
Usyk’s camp barely blinked.
Usyk camp shuts down Fury trilogy talk
In a statement to Sky Sports News, Usyk’s manager Sergey Lapin made it clear the undisputed champion of last year has no intention of being dragged in as a convenient substitute.
“Usyk is not Tyson's backup plan,” Lapin said. “If Fury needs an opponent, he should visit the Ready to Fight platform. They can help him find a worthy opponent there.
“Oleksandr is always open to big challenges. But serious intentions are backed by a concrete offer, not statements in the press.”
The message was unmistakable: if Fury wants a third instalment, he can’t just shout into a camera. He has to send a contract.
Usyk, now 39, vacated the three heavyweight belts he still held in June, but he has not walked away from the sport. Retirement is on hold. His name has been heavily linked with Deontay Wilder in recent weeks, a match-up that would carry its own intrigue and danger.
He also brings an immaculate 25-0 professional record, including back-to-back wins over Joshua in 2021 and 2022, the victories that first prised the titles away from British hands. Since then, in one of boxing’s stranger twists, the Ukrainian has become part of Joshua’s training setup over the past year.
Fury turns up the volume as Joshua talks stall
While Usyk weighs Wilder and other options, Fury finds himself boxed in by boardroom politics. Both he and Joshua have already signed individual contracts for what was pencilled in as a November blockbuster, but the fight remains stuck on the most basic question: where?
New York City has been floated as a possible host. Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn has pushed back, saying he and his fighter want the contest in London. Fury has taken that as a sign of reluctance, accusing Joshua of trying to dodge a fight that has been more than a decade in the making.
So Fury has gone back to the one man who beat him. Twice.
“This will only lead me to a fight with Oleksandr Usyk,” Fury said in a video posted on Instagram, folding Joshua and Usyk into the same challenge.
He leaned into Usyk’s new role in Joshua’s camp as he goaded both men.
“Oleksandr you're his [Joshua's] trainer and his sensei and you know he is weak minded... and that he would never fight the Gypsy King which you have had the guts to do twice.
“You got the decisions last time, fair play to you. Good luck to you, let's do it again. Let's run it back in November. The ball is now in your court... do you want to fight me this year, 2026, or are you calling it quits?
“Let me know because I am now looking for a new opponent.”
The plea was dressed up as bravado, but the subtext was obvious: if Joshua will not sign for London, Fury wants a guaranteed stadium event against the man who already outboxed him over 24 punishing rounds.
A heavyweight chessboard with no king’s move yet
The landscape at the top of the division is as tangled as ever. Usyk has stepped away from his belts but not from the spotlight. Wilder’s name circles. Joshua trains with the man who dethroned him. Fury, once again, is left to shout across social media while lawyers argue over geography.
Lapin’s stance leaves Fury with a clear problem. Without a firm, serious offer on the table, Usyk will not be rushed into a trilogy just to bail out a stalled British super-fight.
For now, the heavyweight kingmakers are arguing over cities and clauses. The fighters are waiting.
Who blinks first will decide whether November belongs to Fury-Joshua, Fury-Usyk III, or someone else entirely.
