sport news Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk are set to fight but could the IBF get in the way? trends now

Every time we move within touching distance of a heavyweight undisputed fight, something gets in the way. 

Whether that's failed negotiations between two British superstars, or an unexpected arbitration case that enforces a brilliant but unwanted trilogy bout, the fight we're all waiting for continues to elude us.  

But now, after Tyson Fury - as we all knew he would - easily dispatched of his old mate Derek Chisora, the coast is finally clear for the heavyweight top-dog to take on Oleksandr Usyk in an historic showdown. 

Not since Lennox Lewis in 1999 has the heavyweight division had an undisputed champion, one man who stands above the rest as the undoubted, irrefutable No 1. But negotiations are now underway to make that happen, with talks to stage Fury vs Usyk in Saudi Arabia next year in the works. 

Fury revealed after his win over Chisora that he will require surgery on his elbow, which will take 'about six-to-eight weeks' to heal, but after that it's go time. Let's get it on, as the Gypsy King said on Saturday. 

So there it is, then. Simple, right? If only - boxing is never that easy. There is still the matter of contract negotiations to discuss. Will it be a 50-50 split? Will it be 60-40 for the winner in the inevitable rematch? What TV channel will it be on? Are there any mandatories that will get in the way? Do both men actually want the fight? 

These are the questions that still need answering. And if there's one thing we learned from the recent failed negotiations between Joshua and Fury, it's that securing a fight of this magnitude takes time. Just don't introduce any ludicrous deadlines this time, Tyson, please. 

But let's start with what we do know. Unlike the proposed bout between Joshua and Fury, which was a contractual nightmare in so many respects, we already know what TV channel it would be on: BT Sport Box Office in the UK and ESPN in the United States. 

Fury has been with Frank Warren and BT Sport since making his long-awaited comeback against Sefer Seferi in 2018, with his last seven fights - dating back to his first scrap against Deontay Wilder in 2018 -  being on BT Sport Box Office. 

Usyk, meanwhile, in beating Joshua in their competitive rematch in August, is no longer tied down to a specific broadcaster. Not Sky, not DAZN, not anyone. So that's the issue of TV sorted. 

On the question of whether both men want the fight, that now seems pretty clear. Usyk was ringside on Saturday night for a reason, and it wasn't to watch the dull affair between Yvan Mendy and Denys Berinchyk on the undercard. Daniel Dubois' rollercoaster win over Kevin Lerena was unexpectedly thrilling, mind you.  

But that's beside the point. The point is that Usyk was at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to get in the ring with Fury after the fight and get the (hopefully) impending opponents in front of each other on the world stage. Joe Joyce even managed to get involved.