Oleksandr Usyk has taken issue with the ring canvas ahead of his clash with Tyson Fury.
The Ukrainian champion is set to finally embark on his quest to become the first undisputed heavyweight champion since 1999 when he takes on Fury on May 18 in Saudi Arabia.
It is a fight that will take place on the same canvas that brought Usyk success in the past, when he edged past Anthony Joshua in the Middle East in September 2021.
But the unified champion is unhappy with the ring mat and has lodged a complaint to officials according to Sky Sports News.
It is reported that the undefeated star is unhappy with the seams that hold the ring together, and has demanded that action be taken.
On the night of Usyk’s rematch win over Joshua, Filip Hrgovic and Zhilei Zhang were seen slipping on the mat while in dialogue with the referee.
It remains to be seen exactly what action could be taken, but it will likely be investigated by officials in Riyadh.
Usyk trained on the canvas at yesterday’s open workouts, where he boxed comfortably with a surprising use of the orthodox stance.
Fury himself has previously lodged a pre-fight enquiry in the past over a ring canvas, when he questioned why the mat was ‘too soft’ before his win over Wladimir Klitschko in 2015.
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