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LONDON — Tyson Fury has blamed Oleksandr Usyk for their undisputed heavyweight boxing championship fight falling through.

Fury, the WBC titlist, had looked on course to box unified WBO, WBA and IBF champion Usyk on April 29.

But, despite a long period of negotiation, the two teams could not reach a conclusion and talks finally collapsed on Wednesday. Fury accused Usyk of “running”, saying, “You were never man enough to tangle with the ‘Gypsy King’, ever in your life.”

Usyk had accepted Fury’s public challenge of taking the short end of a 70/30 purse split on the proviso that Fury made a sizeable donation to the Ukrainian relief effort.

In a foul-mouthed tirade on social media on Thursday, Fury declared that Usyk “tried all week to get out of it, begging for a rematch”.

“You got your rematch, then didn’t even want to fight at that,” he continued. “You little 14st coward.”

Usyk’s promoter Alex Krassyuk revealed to Sky Sports that the discussion over the rematch clause and purse split for a potential second fight was the final straw for the unified champion.

Krassyuk told Sky Sports that the rematch clause was just the point where it all exploded.

“The discussion about the rematch split was just the point where Usyk was fed up with everything. He said, ‘How many more times do I have to bow my head in front of Tyson. Why should I do this? It’s enough. Either he accepts what I say or I leave’. Tyson did not accept it and he left.”

Krassyuk did say a one-fight deal could still be “acceptable” although then “the split should not be 70/30”.

The fight, it appears, cannot be saved and in the coming days the WBA is expected to instruct Usyk to box its mandatory challenger Daniel Dubois.

“Keep running. Fight Dubois at the Copperbox now,” Fury said. 

“And always know you or anybody else like you could never tangle with the ‘Gypsy King’.”

Otto Wallin, who boxed the now WBC champion in 2019, was the last man to go the distance with Fury.

He has offered to replace Usyk and fight Fury. His promoter Dmrity Salita told Sky Sports: “Otto gave Tyson Fury the most difficult night of his career bar                                                                               none. 

All the biggest names in the heavyweights are avoiding [Wallin], Dillian Whyte, Anthony Joshua, [Deontay] Wilder.

“Otto a southpaw like Uysk has been staying busy and is ready to step in on short notice to claim what he believes is long overdue.”

Martin Bakole is the leading heavyweight in the WBA rankings after Dubois and he is gunning for his own shot at Usyk.

If Dubois is not ready to box Usyk, the IBF’s mandatory challenger, Filip Hrgovic might get the next shot at Usyk but Bakole will remain well positioned in those WBA rankings and look for a final eliminator for the title.

“He’s going to get his chance,” Ben Shalom, Bakole’s promoter, told Sky Sports. “I think Oleksandr Usyk selfishly would much prefer to fight Filip Hrgovic than Martin Bakole.

“But hopefully the WBA do what they should do, which is order the next in line, which is Martin Bakole.

“I just feel that Oleksandr knows probably outside Fury, Martin Bakole is the toughest fight. I don’t think they’ll choose it,” he added.

“[Bakole] is so confident, he’s young, he’s 28 years old, which is young for a heavyweight and we know that no one wants to fight him.

“We know how good he is.” — Sky Sports