On May 18th in Saudi Arabia, the highly anticipated showdown for the title of undisputed heavyweight world champion will take place between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk, who currently hold all four belts.
Furthermore, it has been reported that the sheiks behind the organization of the fight are prepared to arrange an immediate rematch, regardless of who emerges as the undisputed champion. This is a logical development, given the boxers’ merits and the fact that neither has yet suffered a defeat in the professional ranks. However, on March 16th, it became known that the long-awaited championship bout could be canceled or its storyline altered. Bets on the championship fight are already accepted: azebet qeydiyyat and make your prediction.
Anthony Joshua wants to fight against Tyson Fury, pushing Usyk aside
The involvement of Matchroom Boxing and its head, Eddie Hearn, may come into play. He intends to promote his top star, Anthony Joshua, to the titleholder position and will try to dissuade the sheiks from organizing a rematch between Fury and Usyk for this purpose. It is reported that Hearn will attempt to persuade Turki Al al-Sheikh that it would be much more beneficial to pit two British fighters against each other.
Furthermore, Hearn has held preliminary discussions and has indicated that Saudi Arabia views this scenario very positively and is even prepared to arrange two bouts between Joshua and Fury, one of which will take place in England at Wembley Stadium.
WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman also noted that the organization is not opposed to Joshua entering the fray between the champions: “We have agreed to the request for a fight for the undisputed championship. Then we accepted and confirmed the request for an immediate rematch. But if there are no issues according to the contract, then we have no problem with the winner facing Joshua first. We take this matter very seriously. Our position is very simple and clear—to support the fight for the undisputed championship, to hold the fights that fans want to see.”
Possible options: Can the plan be changed?
However, there are complex nuances to consider. For example, the main contender for the IBF title, Filip Hrgovic, is still waiting in the wings. He was supposed to fight Usyk a long time ago, but this bout was postponed in favor of a bigger showdown between Usyk and Fury. However, the IBF is known for not hesitating to strip champions of their belts if they continue to delay fights against Hrgovic. In light of this, another possibility arises: Joshua could face Filip for the vacant IBF title and then either have a rematch with Usyk for the remaining three belts or have a high-profile bout with Fury.
For the promoters and the world of boxing in general, the name Anthony Joshua carries much more weight than Usyk, even though the Briton has long lost his champion status. Usyk does not generate as much revenue from pay-per-view sales and is ranked lower than recognized stars. On the other hand, a fight between Fury and Joshua would be the biggest event that could be staged in the heavyweight division.
Furthermore, AJ has performed convincingly in his recent fights, winning four in a row. The Briton has earned another shot at the title, so it is quite likely that Hearn will be able to guide his ward past Usyk.
It’s worth noting that a fight between Joshua and Fury has been attempted multiple times in the past. The best opportunity arose three years ago when it would have been a showdown for the undisputed world championship. However, Deontay Wilder intervened, claiming the right to a trilogy fight with Fury and disrupting the heavyweight landscape. By the time Fury became available again, AJ had already lost his titles. Later, the Gypsy King tried twice more to lure Joshua into the ring, but both attempts were unsuccessful. In one case, Fury ended up fighting Derek Chisora, and in the other, he fought Francis Ngannou.
