World Boxing News has moved to clarify that Tyson Fury is not suspended from boxing after a flag appeared on a statistics website.
For the second time in days, a yellow flag has appeared next to one of the two heavyweights competing in the undisputed contest at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Usyk was first when his marker wrongly got attributed to the British Boxing Board of Control. The BBBofC had nothing to do with sanctioning Usyk vs Fury. Upon realizing this, BoxRec updated the tag a day later to show the UAE Boxing Commission. The Middle East Boxing Commission made the suspension ruling after sanctioning the undisputed battle on May 18.
However, that’s not the issue here. The problem is the reporting of suspensions as if they meant something. They don’t. It’s a new practice that BoxRec adopted when updating the website a while ago. They now report the temporary banning orders on their website, which throws up confusion among those who don’t know why boxers get mandatory suspensions.
Are Tyson Fury and Usyk suspended from boxing?
After any fight, depending on knockdowns, knockouts or injuries, a boxer is given a date for which they cannot engage in boxing practices for their safety. This ruling has been standard practice for years and is nothing new, except that information is now readily available on a statistics website.
Usyk’s order will last until July 2 due to a cut suffered in the fight. Fury’s, which only appeared on Friday, expires on Saturday. “The Gypsy King” only got a week’s suspension, which will only be a precaution due to his defeat.
Therefore, neither is really suspended from boxing in any other sense of the word as neither would be fighting nor training during that period anyway. The measures are simply a yardstick to keep fighters aware of looking after themselves after a tough fight, like the one on Saturday night.
Usyk took the spoils and Fury’s WBC title as the Ukrainian secured his place as the best heavyweight since Lennox Lewis. A generational talent, Usyk became the first man since Evander Holyfield, the man Lewis defeated to become undisputed himself, to claim the undisputed cruiserweight and heavyweight titles.
Turki Alalshikh is planning a rematch for Saudi Arabia between October and December. As WBN reported exclusively, Usyk will ask for an IBF exception to keep his championships for the second fight.
The views expressed in this article are the opinions of Phil Jay. Learn more, read all articles from the experienced boxing writer, and follow on Twitter @PhilJWBN.
