Promoter Frank Warren has blasted criticism of Tyson Fury as 'pathetic' after the fight with Oleksandr Usyk was postponed.
Fury and Usyk were set to enter the ring this Saturday but the Gyspy King sustained a cut in sparring earlier this month to delay the bout three months.
The pair will now put their unbeaten professional records and belts on the line on May 18 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
It will be the first four-belt undisputed heavyweight fight since Lennox Lewis beat Evander Holyfield in 1999.
Boxing news: Frank Warren has defended Tyson Fury ahead of the fight with Oleksandr Usyk
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Fury has won 34 of his 35 career fights, beating the likes of Wladimir Klitschko and Deontay Wilder, with his only blemish being a draw in the first match against the latter.
But some critics have claimed the 35-year-old is running scared from Usyk and is not keen on fighting him.
His promoter Warren has rubbished those claims and says that former boxers 'should know better'.
He told talkSPORT: "This is the fella that went to Germany to fight [Klitschko] for the world title and beat him.
"This is the guy that went out [to America] to fight a guy that was undefeated in Deontay Wilder – six years reigning as heavyweight champion.
"The hardest punching heavyweight recorded and went out not once, but fought three times out there.
"Do me a favour, it’s pathetic, and professional fighters should know better."
Fury struggled through his last fight against Francis Ngannou last October, only winning via a split decision.
He was knocked down by Ngannou in the third round in the former MMA star's debut professional boxing fight.
But Warren is still backing Fury to prove he is the best heavyweight boxer around against Usyk.
He added: "I do think that he will beat him, I think Tyson is the best heavyweight on the planet.
"His last fight against Ngannou, he wasn’t at his best, but he came through and won the fight."
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Boxing news: Frank Warren has labelled criticism of Tyson Fury as 'pathetic'
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Fury is now back in the UK after his training camp in Saudi Arabia was cut short.
He received stitches in the cut that Warren is confident will be healed in time for May 18.
Warren says Fury was almost at his peak fitness when he sustained the injury in a sparring session with Agron Smakici.
He said: "He's as fit as a butcher's dog at the moment. He's worked hard and he did work very hard in training camp and that will stand him in some good stead because he'll take a couple of weeks off.
Boxing news: Tyson Fury sustained a cut in sparring earlier this month
Queensbury Promotions
"He was more or less peaking and now he's got to sort of wind himself down again a bit and then start working again to get himself up for peak condition on May 18. He'll be okay.
"He will be ready for that, and it’ll take its course and it’ll heal. It’s nothing unusual in boxing for fights to be postponed.
"In sparring, you’re actually punching each other, so you will pick up injuries, it’s unfortunate it happened with Tyson."
