Anthony Joshua vs. Tyson Fury? Oleksandr Usyk plans to assert his right to be Joshua’s next opponent | Boxing news

“While everyone wants to see AJ fight Fury, I don’t think this fight is going to happen anytime soon,” Oleksandr Usyk’s co-promoter told Sky Sports exclusively; Usyk is Anthony Joshua’s mandatory challenger so he could impose his status to delay the undisputed title fight with Tyson Fury

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Anthony Joshua says he wants to face whoever has the WBC belt and if it’s Tyson Fury then so be it!

Anthony Joshua’s next opponent could be Oleksandr Usyk, not Tyson Fury, because the Ukrainian is already trying to enforce his right to a mandatory fight.

IBF, WBA and WBO champion Joshua and WBC title holder Fury appear to be on a collision course to decide an undisputed heavyweight champion, but Usyk one of the main obstacles for this occasion dreamy, he insists he won’t step aside.

WBO President Paco Valcarcel boosted the hopes of his mandatory challenger Usyk on Saturday night, moments after Joshua defeated Kubrat Pulev, by tweeting: “[Promoter] Eddie Hearn knows the meaning of commitment.

“The ball is in Hearn’s court.”

Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury have all the big titles

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Usyk after beating Derek Chisora: ‘Joshua should fight me later’

Usyk’s co-promoter Alexander Krassyuk, who works alongside Hearn, said exclusively Sky sports: “My prediction, my plan and our strategy is to have AJ vs Usyk in April or May 2021.

“This is the WBO that has the power to enforce the champion by the mandatory.

“Although everyone wants to see AJ fight Fury, I don’t think this fight is going to happen anytime soon.”

On Joshua’s knockout of Pulev, Krassyuk added: “I haven’t talked about AJ’s performance with Usyk yet, but I must admit that AJ seemed quite convincing.”

The WBO stance would apparently leave Joshua with two options: defend his title against Usyk next, or leave it vacant to move directly into a fight with Fury.

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Anthony Joshua knocked out Kubrat Pulev to get closer to a dream fight against Tyson Fury.

Wilder and Fury can still meet again

An additional complication of the undisputed title fight is Fury’s situation regarding a third fight with Deontay Wilder.

Fury shelved the planned trilogy this month, but has since been forced to enter a mediation process because Wilder is eager to agree terms to share the ring again.

The WBC said Sky sports who would give their “full support” to a third Fury vs. Wilder fight in 2021.

WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman said: “Wilder is a tremendous and important element. He was a five-year WBC champion. Extremely loyal.

“The highest knockout ratio. The percentage is unbelievable and he is a well loved fighter, a WBC champion and of course he deserves another shot.

“He gave Tyson Fury the opportunity and Tyson Fury beat him, he knocked him out and of course Wilder is in the mix.

“He deserves a chance and we will see how things develop next year.

“We just hope that everything is resolved and everyone is happy and we see great fights inside the ring.”

Will Joshua fight Fury in 2021?

Joshua said Sky sports after sending Pulev: “I started this game in 2013. I have been chasing all the belts. I have been dealing with mandates.

“Of course I want the challenge. It’s not about the opponent, it’s about the legacy and the belt. Whoever has the belt, I would love to compete with them. If that’s Tyson Fury, let it be Tyson Fury. What a thing.

“It’s one fight at a time, taking them out one by one. That’s what it’s all about for me. I have to stay focused.”

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Spencer Oliver on improving Anthony Joshua and dream fight against Tyson Fury.

Joshua’s promoter Hearn added: “There’s been a lot of talk. As he said, it’s less talk, more action. Ever since he came to the office, he wanted to be the undisputed champion of the world.”

“We are going to be friendly, we are going to be friendly. We know what we have to do. Starting from [Sunday], we make the Tyson Fury fight right away.

“It’s the only fight you can do in boxing. It’s the biggest fight in boxing. It’s the biggest fight in British boxing history.

“I know that he [Joshua] wants it. He’s the best heavyweight in the world, I promise you. It will knock him down, knock him out, but for me, less talk, more action.

“We know what we want to do. It is a legacy and we will achieve it.”

Joshua met Floyd Mayweather after their fight

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Dillian Whyte in ‘weird’ Joshua performance

Fury hit Joshua: “They asked him if he wanted the fight and he went around the bushes.

“I want the fight. I want the fight next. I’ll knock him out in three rounds!”

Fury’s US promoter, Top Rank’s Bob Arum, said: “It looks like the stage is set for the biggest heavyweight championship fight since Ali-Frazier in 1971, when Fury meets Joshua for the undisputed crown.

“At Top Rank we will start working on Monday to put that fight together.”