Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk Disclosed Fight Purse: Is ‘The Gypsy King’ Making Over $100 Million?

Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk are meeting the day after tomorrow to settle the undisputed argument. The match has a legacy written all over it. But from a fiscal perspective as well, the clash might make it into the history books. Both Fury and Usyk are expected to make a windfall. It might set off their net worth to the highest echelons of the sporting world. There are talks that the Mancunian might as well take home a triple-figure payday!

The fight in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, follows the unexpected cancellation it faced early in February. A sparring injury rendered ‘The Gypsy King’ unfit for the initially scheduled date of February 17. As a result, the face-off was postponed to the current date of May 18. All eyes are on the big battle. It will finally unveil the heavyweight division’s first undisputed title holder since Lennox Lewis held it 25 years ago.

Undoubtedly, it is the fight of a lifetime for two of the foremost practitioners of the art of boxing. Both Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk boast impressive resumes. With 34 wins, 24 of which came via knockouts, ‘The Gypsy King’s record shows no loss. However, he has a draw with Deontay Wilder (2018) to contend with. On the other hand, with a first-rate amateur pedigree that includes an Olympic gold, the Ukrainian champion also remains unbeaten with 21 wins. 14 of those came through early stoppage.

Tyson Fury will enter the ring following a split decision victory over Francis Ngannou in October last year. Two months before, the unified heavyweight champion defended his title from Daniel Dubois. Both heavyweight champions have apparently agreed upon a rematch sometime later this year.

The ‘Ring of Fire’ or what many have started terming the ‘Fight of the Century’ could be the highest-grossing payday in Tyson Fury’s more than a decade-old career. Reportedly, both boxers had agreed upon a 70/30 purse split, with ‘The Gypsy King’ receiving the majority share. But the premium comes with a caveat.

Riches for the Kings: Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk

So, a conservative figure puts it around £80 million, or roughly over $100 million, for Tyson Fury. Likewise, the current unified heavyweight champion will be richer by £35 million, which is about $50 million. However, a clause in the agreement mandates the Mancunian to pledge £1 million or $1.2 million towards Ukraine’s war efforts.

According to earlier reports, during the early rounds of negotiations, Tyson Fury had turned down offers that seemingly suggested a 50/50 or 60/40 split in purse, favoring the winner. A piece on The Independent suggests that with 70% of the share, ‘The Gypsy King’ would bag around £116 million or $150 million.

To many, it shouldn’t be so surprising. Tyson Fury’s promoter in the United States, Bob Arum, had reportedly given the hints. “If you told Tyson Fury he’s set to make $100 million, he’d really get p***ed off because he thinks, and I think he’s right, that he’s going to make a lot more. I don’t know the number, but it’s a lot more than $100 million,” was how the Top Rank honcho put it last year.

Frank Warren, who heads Fury’s promotions in the United Kingdom, the Queensbury Promotions, stated that with his participation in some of the biggest fights of recent times, such as the ones with Deontay Wilder in Las Vegas, ‘The Gypsy King’ is already the highest-earning sportsperson in Great Britain.

Tyson Fury remains the heavy favorite to win the match. ‘Betway’ reportedly puts the odds at 10/11 in his favor. ‘Sky Bet’ seems to have trimmed it down to 3/1 for him to win by either a knockout or a TKO. It reads 9/4 for a decision-based victory. But ‘Betway’ has Usyk also winning with odds of ten to eleven. Per ‘Sky Bet’, the odds appear to be 5/1 for a knockout win and 9/4 for a split-decision victory for Oleksandr Usyk. The chances of a draw hover between 16/1 and 14/1.

Between Fury and Usyk, who is your favorite to win on Saturday, May 18? Please share your views with us in the comments below.