Team Usyk Wants Tyson Fury To Follow ‘Grossly Violated’ Beard Rule

Oleksandr Usyk’s (22-0, 14 KOs) team surely does not like Tyson Fury’s (34-1-1, 24 KOs).

In a few hours, ‘The Gypsy King’ will face the Ukrainian powerhouse in their highly anticipated rematch at Riyadh Season’s Reignited. The recent face-off and presser saw Fury sporting a new look with a rather luscious beard. However, it now looks like he might have to soon bid adieu to his facial locks. Team Usyk has asked Fury to trim his beard, stating that the WBC rules require him to be devoid of facial fluff. “Beard rule is grossly violated,” Usyk’s team wrote. “So, Tyson’s beard has to be trimmed. We will push it further”.

According to the WBC, a boxer may sport a trimmed beard as long as the commission or supervisor decides that it does not cushion or in any way affect the impact or trajectory of punches. Moreover, it should also not cause any cuts or abrasions to his rival. On the other hand, Usyk’s manager, Spencer Brown, revealed that Fury will not be trimming his beard for the fight.

“Tyson Fury has boxed with a beard on many occasions as do other fighters, most recently Beterbiev. Usyk himself has come out publicly and said Tyson having a beard is no problem. There is no law or ruling in boxing to say you can’t fight with a beard. It’s ridiculous that this has already been brought up in a rules meeting to no avail. Simply put, if Usyk had a beard, we would have no issue. This is not a fashion show, it’s boxing,” he said.

“Controversial Decision”

While the beard drama shaves along, the combat sports community is taking sides as fight night inches closer. In fact, former MMA fighter Dan Hardy gave what he believes is a “controversial” prediction for the fight.

Talking to Bloody Elbow, Hardy mentioned that he is looking forward to seeing the fight. He said he sees the fight going either way, but Usyk could rule the tables if he plays the cards right. “Ultimately, I always seem to have a slight bias towards the technician, so I would go with Usyk because of his speed and the diversity of his movement and footwork,” he said. “But the sheer size of Fury, coupled with his fight IQ, makes it a very challenging fight to call. I’m leaning towards Usyk, but I could see it being a controversial decision, and we’re going to be running it back again.”

Joshua Ben Joseph

Joshua Ben Joseph is a Boxing writer renowned for his unparalleled coverage of live events and insightful interviews with prominent athletes in the world of combat sports. With a career spanning over several years, he has authored more than 800 articles. As an experienced editorial cartoonist and investigative journalist, Joshua has a keen eye for detail and a passion for delivering quality content. Aside from his writing, Joshua is an avid powerlifter and solo traveler, embodying the same spirit of determination and exploration that he brings to his work. With a deep love for the sport of boxing that dates back to childhood, he is committed to delivering the highest quality content and helping to build a more transparent and credible industry.

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