How much money did Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk earn from their money spinning world boxing bout of last Saturday? This is an interesting question despite the bout having been won and lost, becoming history in the process.
Despite Tyson Fury having lost the fight, he won the money. He was paid an intimidating $145 million from the fight.
On the other hand, Oleksandr Usyk earned an equally sizable but far less $50 million to Fury’s. And the reason is not far fetched.
The fight was all about Tyson Fury – the Gypsy King. Lovers of Tyson Fury paid to watch him entertain them. Just as millions paid to watch him get whipped by Oleksandr Usyk
In his book, Behind The Mask, Tyson Fury said that Fighting Sports is not just about winning, it is also about entertainment and controversy because that is what brings you money.
Controversy and Entertainment were the currency of the great champions of old: Muhammad Ali, Mike Tyson, Evander Holified, Floyd Mayweather et al.
When you watch the fight, you will clearly hear some part of the crowd laughing whenever Fury was taunting Usyk. It was entertaining all through.
However, one can also hear some part of the crowd booing Fury whenever he taunts Usyk. Whichever way, Fury engaged the emotions of the crowd.
Usyk is a serious minded fighter, he didn’t even smile for a second until the fight was over. He delivered victory after being in camp for nine months preparing for the fight.
Fury lost the fight, but he won the money. And he pledged to donate $1.2 million of his earnings to Ukraine for their war relief efforts. This certainly is a strategy to get tax relief back in his home country.
One indisputable fact is that apart from both pugilists being good fighters, they are also good men as shown in their sportsmanship behavior after the boxing contest.
