Tyson Fury 'avoiding fight' as boxing star makes accusation ahead of huge announcement
Tyson Fury has been accused of dodging a boxing match as huge Oleksandr Usyk announcement looms
GETTY
Boxing star Zhilei Zhang has accused Tyson Fury of being too scared to fight him.
The Gypsy King is currently preparing for his upcoming bout with Oleksandr Usyk, with that showdown expected to be announced for February.
Fury will go into his fight with Usyk with a point to prove after underwhelming during his recent victory over Francis Ngannou.
The 35-year-old was knocked down in round three, with the likes of Usyk, Cristiano Ronaldo and Conor McGregor all visibly stunned.
Tyson Fury has been called out by boxing star Zhilei Zhang
GETTY
And while Fury won via split decision, he's been widely criticised for his performance in Saudi Arabia.
Now, WBO interim heavyweight champion Zhang has claimed Fury is actively avoiding a fight with him.
He's accused the Gypsy King of running scared, telling the Daily Star, via Gambling.com: “We witnessed the worst version of Tyson Fury ever.
“No matter how you look at it, it’s an exhibition fight.
“To perform like that, it’s a shame to the sport of boxing.
"I don’t know if Fury is past his prime or not, but he did not train for the Ngannou fight and was not dedicated as a professional for it.
“When I called him out after knocking Joe Joyce out, he was in a conversation with Oleksandr Usyk to fight for two years.
"As soon as I called him out the fight got made.
"That to me means Fury and his team want to avoid me.”
Fury had originally been set to face Usyk in Saudi on December 23 as part of a Christmas cracker.
Yet with the Briton needing more time to recover, their fight has now been pushed back.
Four belts will be on the line when the two men finally step into their ring to fight for the heavyweight title.
And both Fury and Usyk boast unbeaten records as their battle creeps closer.
Fury has won 34 of his 35 career fights, with a draw against Deontay Wilder in 2018 the only time he's failed to win.
Usyk, meanwhile, has won all 21 of his bouts so far.
The Ukrainian's promoter, Alex Krassyuk, is satisfied with a delay.
But he's warned Fury about his weight, saying: “It depends on how he gonna spend this time.
“If it brings him to a better shape and better spirit, then definitely yes.
"But we remember Tyson after he defeated [Wladimir] Klitschko [in 2015] and was supposed to fight in the rematch, he spent his time, let’s say, not in the best manner.”
Fury's promoter, Frank Warren, has claimed Saudi will still host a big night of boxing even without his client taking part.
LATEST SPORTS NEWS:
Tyson Fury's upcoming fight with Oleksandr Usyk is set to be announced for February
GETTY
“There’s gonna be a big night in December and we’ll be announcing very soon," he said.
“It will be massive. You’re gonna love it.
"I can’t give you all the information at the moment, but everything’s going in the right direction for it to be a historical night in boxing.
“It’s gonna feature boxers from all over the world.
"You will be surprised by the names. There’s some great British fighters too.”