Oleksandr Usyk vs Tyson Fury: Anthony Joshua step-aside talks break down

WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury's proposed showdown with Dillian Whyte appears to be moving closer after he pledged on Thursday to "annihilate" the mandatory challenger.

Fury is now expected to fight mandatory challenger Dillian Whyte - with purse bids for the bout due on Friday.

WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury's proposed showdown with Dillian Whyte appears to be moving closer after he pledged on Thursday to "annihilate" the mandatory challenger.

A deal that would have seen Fury instead face Ukraine's WBA, WBO, IBF and IBO champion Oleksandr Usyk for the undisputed heavyweight title in June fell apart at the last minute, ESPN reported, setting up the all-British clash.

"I can't wait to punch Dillian Whyte's face right in," Fury said in an Instagram video posted Thursday. "You're getting annihilated, bum."

 

 

ESPN said there had been a deal in principle for Whyte and Britain's former world champion Anthony Joshua, who lost his titles to Usyk, to step aside from planned bouts with Fury and Usyk, respectively, in exchange for millions of dollars.

However, the deal fell apart after the parties tried to renegotiate, sources told ESPN on Thursday.

The rights to the Fury-Whyte fight will be auctioned at Friday's purse bid, which has been postponed on several occasions to allow time for a step-aside deal to be wrapped up.

The 33-year-old Fury knocked out American Deontay Wilder to retain his WBC title in October and later underwent elbow surgery to repair an injury.