Beterbiev accuses Usik of refusing the fight

"Tendril? No one has promoted this topic; it is not in their favor. When I signed a contract with Top Rank, I also had negotiations with Eddie Hearn (head of Matchroom Boxing). Then Alexander Usik became an absolute. And, it seems, the terms of the contracts were approximately the same, and I told my managers to make an offer to Hearn that if within a year he gives me a fight for the absolute heavyweight title with Usyk, then I will go with him. That is, I don’t look at the details of the contract and go with it. Hearn even had a slightly worse contract. They were there for a week or two... In short, they kept silent. They 100% told Usik’s team about this. They didn't advertise it. Why? Because they won’t say that they gave up on a guy who weighs less. Ten kilograms. Therefore my conscience is clear. I suggested it to him. It was a great chance for me and, above all, it was a sporting component for me. Yes, there was a big chance to immediately become an absolute champion in the first heavyweight division.”