Frank Warren isn’t having the criticism being thrown at Tyson Fury after a cut above his right eye forced the postponement of his much-anticipated bout with Oleksandr Usyk.

WBC heavyweight champ Fury had been due to take on the undefeated Ukrainian on February 17 in a bout which would have unified boxing major heavyweight titles for the first time in more than two decades. However, a deep cut sustained by Fury in sparring forced the postponement of the fight until May 18 in Saudi Arabia.

And Queensberry head Warren, who promotes Fury in the UK, says that the criticism being aimed at Fury in the media after the cut delayed one of the most anticipated boxing matches of the year is more than unfair on a fighter who has passed every test he has ever faced in the ring.

“I don’t understand how these people get living out of this game,” Warren said on the 5 Live boxing podcast. “Has Tyson got make-believe stitches in his eye? What they’re saying is libellous and scandalous. It’s like some kind of cult against him.”

Warren added that the cut, which appears to be in the same place he received another deep gash in a 2019 bout against Otto Wallin, required “urgent medical attention” and “significant stitching.” The incident prompted the bout’s Saudi Arabian hosts to announce a new date, May 18. It was the third time that a fight between Fury and Usyk has been postponed.

Fury, who had been in Saudi for five weeks before he sustained the cut, will undergo his rehabilitation at home in Morecambe but will return to sparring as soon as he is permitted.

“He’ll want to be with his family,” Warren said of the fighter.

“He can’t continue training as such. He can tick over. He can get on the bike and keep well but when you’re training for a fight you’re training to reach your ultimate best, your peak,” he added.

“Now he has to wind down and set everything back in motion to get himself up and ready and make sure he’s at his best for 18 May.”