Usyk’s Team Shuts Down Tyson Fury Trilogy Talk: “We’re Not a Backup Plan”

Tyson Fury’s attempt to pivot from Anthony Joshua toward a third fight with Oleksandr Usyk has already hit resistance. After Fury publicly claimed his proposed Joshua fight was falling apart and challenged Usyk to meet him again in November, Usyk manager Sergey Lapin responded by dismissing the idea that the undefeated heavyweight champion would simply become Fury’s replacement opponent. Lapin says there has been no serious offer for a trilogy and stressed that Usyk will not operate as anyone’s backup plan.

That response matters because Fury presented Usyk as an immediate alternative if the Joshua negotiations finally collapse. But Usyk owns two victories over Fury, both coming in 2024, and his camp clearly believes that gives them the leverage—not Fury. A third fight would still be enormous business, but the champion’s side has little reason to rush into another negotiation simply because Fury is frustrated elsewhere.

The development also puts Fury in an interesting position. Joshua remains the biggest available British blockbuster, while Usyk is apparently unwilling to sit around as Plan B. Fury may ultimately have to repair the Joshua negotiations, make Usyk a genuinely compelling offer, or identify an entirely different opponent for his next fight.