The team of unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk has complaints about the ring canvas for his fight against the popular WBC champ Tyson Fury on Saturday night at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh.

Is this a sneaky tactic for Fury to get the upper hand on the talented Usyk? I mean, it stands to reason that if Usyk can’t move as much due to the trip hazard in the canvas, he could be easy prey for the goliath Fury.

Seam-Gate: A Pre-Fight Stink in the Desert

According to Skysports, Usyk reportedly noticed a mysterious seam in the ring canvas, which could be a trip hazard during his fight with the 6’9″ Fury, and affect his ability to move about the ring. Usyk would have to dodge this hidden bump in the canvas to elude the slow-moving 260+ Fury.

From Usyk’s standpoint, a seam in the canvas could make him more cautious about moving around the ring, fearing that he could trip or lose his balance each time he comes across that point in the ring. That would benefit the bigger fighter, Fury, who is going to be stalking him all night with his huge size.

Fury is the A-side, the big attraction for this fight, and there’s a lot of money at stake in this clash with a lucrative all-British contest with Anthony Joshua that is just around the bend if he’s victorious against Usyk on Saturday night.

If you’re Usyk, you got to smell a rat and be suspicious of a trip hazard in the canvas and view it as potentially a way to increase Fury’s chances of winning to get to the giant pot of gold fight against Joshua.

I would definitely be on my hind legs, baying to the moon about this if I were Usyk because he’s the B-side in this fight and there’s massive cash that Fury will be getting fighting Joshua if he’s victorious.

Mind Games or Genuine Concern?

British heavyweight Frazer Clark told Sky Sports, “I was in the ring shadow boxing and I didn’t notice anything. So I’m really intrigued by what they were actually going on about.

“Could it be mind games? I doubt it because we’re in neutral territory here [Riyadh]. So, there’s no advantage for Tyson and no advantage for Usyk. I’m intrigued to go see what they’re going on about.”



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