Plans for the Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury unification fight could be impacted by the latest comments made by the promoter of Oleksandr Usyk. The promoter has revealed that Usyk hasn’t given consent to the two reigning world champions to press ahead with plans for their unification bout, and it looks likely that he will enforce the WBO mandatory tag that he earned with a victory of Derek Chisora last year.
Persuading Usyk to pass up on his mandatory challenge is one of the many hurdles that are standing in the way of the potential huge fight, and the latest comments could indicate that the fight may no longer be for all belts in the heavyweight division.
Boxing News: What Could Happen Next?
Eddie Hearn has constantly reiterated that Joshua will be facing off against Fury this year, and that could mean that the most logical decision made by the current champion will be to drop the WBO title. Doing that will enable Usyk to challenge for that belt against another challenger.
The Ukrainian’s promoter admitted that the time is running out to make the unification bout, as Usyk is calm that he will receive what he has earned regardless of the plans surrounding Joshua and Fury. His promoter also offered up another solution, as he claimed that the unification fight could go ahead, before the winner drops the WBO title after the winner has been crowned.
Boxing News: Joshua/Fury Talks Progressing
Usyk’s promoter also revealed that the mandatory challenger has no intention of competing in a non-title bout in his next fight, as his sights are firmly set on competing for the title. There will likely be no shortage of challengers that would be willing to step up to face Usyk is the title is dropped, with Joe Joyce likely to be in a prime position after beating Daniel Dubois.
Joshua has recently revealed that talks with the Fury camp are progressing, with the venue likely to be one of the biggest talking points. Ideally, both fighters would want the bout to happen in the United Kingdom, but COVID restrictions means that a fight abroad could be more realistic as it will be more financially rewarding for both fighters. An official announcement regarding the fight could be weeks away, which means the answers that all boxing fans want could be known sooner rather than later.
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