Early win for Usyk
The final judge for Tyson Fury against Oleksandr Usyk was decided by a coin toss on Saturday morning.
Ignacio Robles from Panama will replace the supposedly ill Fernando Barbosa, although there are now claims the judge was objected to. Robles has replaced Barbosa instead of the previously favoured Steve Weisfeld from New Jersey. Members of both teams – but not the fighters – watched a coin toss administered by the Middle Eastern Professional Boxing Commission.
MEPBC is overseeing the main event at the request of Team Usyk as they did not want the British Boxing Board of Control in charge despite them running the undercard. This was the same as the first fight back in May. Usyk is defending his WBA, WBC and WBO heavyweight titles against Fury in a rematch.
The Ukrainian’s team are understood to have favoured Robles to judge alongside Chicago’s Patrick Morley and Puerto Rico’s Gerardo Martinez. The row over the length of Fury’s beard has continued but sources close to the Gypsy King’s team have insisted it won’t be an issue. But it is still not known if he will succumb to Usyk promoter Alex Krassyuk’s wish for the beard to be trimed.