Fury, who had set a September 1 deadline for a potential fight with Usyk, rushed to Twitter on Friday to say the WBO, WBA, and IBF champion was "running, hiding," mockingly labeling him a "middleweight."
However, Usyk appears to be sure that the bout will go place, telling Sky Sports via an interpreter: "He wishes to engage in combat with me. He wants people to talk about him.
"He hasn't retired yet; it's just a game of 'I'm leaving boxing,' 'I'm returning.' He still wishes to work." He undoubtedly thinks all of his outrageous remarks about me will affect me. But it won't happen." Tyson Fury enjoys talking. Everything else is blah blah blah."
"I interpret it as the crow debating with the wolf sitting in the tree... in actuality, if the crow was close to the wolf, she would remain mute.