Oleksandr Usyk responds to Tyson Fury's X-rated message ahead of rematch

Heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk remained tight-lipped after receiving a message from his rival Tyson Fury.

Usyk made history by becoming the first man to defeat 'The Gyspy King', securing a split-decision victory in Riyadh back in May. This victory saw the 37-year-old become the first undisputed heavyweight champion since Lennox Lewis in 1999.

The pivotal moment in their initial bout came in the ninth round, where Usyk landed several powerful blows that nearly knocked Fury out. The Brit was left visibly shaken and was saved by the bell, leading many to believe the fight should have been stopped.

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Both fighters are set to face off again in December, promising an unforgettable night of boxing and an early Christmas gift for sports enthusiasts. Fury and Usyk were present at Anthony Joshua's loss to Daniel Dubois.

Following the main event, footage surfaced of 'The Gyspsy King' commending Usyk for his "boxing lesson'' to both Joshua and Dubois. Despite the former heavyweight champion coming across as polite during his encounter with the Ukrainian, it appears the 36-year-old has now ramped up the trash talk ahead of the rematch.

In a post to Instagram, Fury uploaded a picture of Usyk landing a punch during their first encounter back in May. The Brit captioned the image: "You had your shot but couldn't finish the job! Mistake! Now your about to feel the wrath of A menace! F*** @usykaa f*** @klimasmanagement f*** @alex.krassyuk and if your down with Usyk then f*** you 2! Gypsy king 2024 coming for you! Dec 21 is mine. Me against the world. Incoming 3x heavyweight champ!"

While many would retaliate, Usyk responded swiftly to Fury's post. However, instead of exchanging insults, the Ukrainian was very respectful and found humour in his message.

In a story shared on his official Instagram page, the 37-year-old replied: "You're really cool, my friend." The former cruiserweight world champion disclosed after Joshua's fight with Dubois that he and Fury exchanged pleasantries, before asserting his confidence in winning December's match.

"A little bit [they spoke] yeah. 'How are you' blah blah blah. This is my friend. Of course, he's like my brother. I too love my London fans. When I win the second time with Tyson Fury, I don't know what's next, I want to rest with my family," he told Boxing King Media.

In a surprising turn of events, with the highly anticipated rematch just two months away, Tyson Fury disclosed that he has not yet initiated his training camp. When probed about his preparations for the rematch, Fury disclosed: "I haven't started training yet. I won't go into camp for a good while. I think I've got 13 weeks today until my fight. So, I'll probably start training in about six weeks for it. I do about six/seven weeks training for these fights usually and I'll be ready to rock and roll on the night. Roll on December 21, come on!"