Oleksandr Usyk's manager believes Tyson Fury got cut on purpose to avoid fighting the Ukrainian in two weeks' time.
Fury pulled out of the mega undisputed fight on Friday after suffering a nasty injury in sparring but Egis Klimas reckons he asked to get hit 'with a frying pan'.
Fury and Usyk were set to put their belts and unbeaten professional records on the line in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on February 17.
Boxing fans have not seen an undisputed heavyweight clash since Lennox Lewis won all four belts against Evander Holyfield almost 25 years ago.
Egis Klimas claims Tyson Fury got cut on purpose so he would miss the Oleksandr Usyk fight
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Fury arrived in Saudi Arabia in early January to undergo a lengthy training camp in the country in an attempt to get himself in the best position physically.
However, it emerged on Friday afternoon that the Gypsy King had suffered a freak cut above his right eye during sparring and had to pull out of the fight.
Footage has been leaked which appears to show the moment that Fury received an accidental elbow to the face, reportedly from Croatian heavyweight Agron Smakici.
But Usyk's manager Klimas reckons the injury came about in other circumstances.
He gave a damning response to Fury's withdrawal and claimed he asked one of his team to hit him deliberately in order for him to miss the fight.
Klimas claimed he always knew Fury would pull out and also revealed how Usyk reacted to the news.
As per Ring Magazine, Klimas said: "Tyson Fury is a f*****g coward who will do anything not to face Usyk, and he asked his b***h to hit him with a frying pan in his brow.
"You can quote me word for word for that. When the news was brought to Oleksandr, he just smiled. That is all he did.
"He is too mentally strong to break. I was waiting for this moment."
Fans will now have to wait for Fury's cut to heal before a new date can be arranged.
Queensbury Promotions first broke the news that the 35-year-old had been injured and wouldn't be able to enter the ring in two weeks.
A spokesperson revealed they are unable to put a date on Fury's recovery, saying: "Whilst this is still breaking news it is clearly a massive disappointment after the work that has been done by so many people to finally deliver this historic event to the world.
"Once the Doctors have appraised Tyson's eye, we will have a better idea of the period of recovery needed.
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Egis Klimas said Tyson Fury asked one of his team to hit him with a frying pan
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"Once known we will work diligently with all the stakeholders and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to reschedule this fight as soon as possible and will of course keep everyone updated with developments."
Fury, meanwhile, posted an apology to his fans on social media after the news broke.
He wrote: "I am absolutely devastated after preparing for this fight for so long and being in such superb condition.
Boxing fans will have to wait to see Tyson Fury fight Oleksandr Usyk
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"I feel bad for everyone involved in this huge event and I will work diligently towards the rescheduled date once the eye has healed.
"I can only apologise to everyone affected including my own team, Team Usyk, the undercard fighters, partners, and fans as well as our hosts and my friends in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia."
