Anthony Joshua aims to reclaim the heavyweight titles and become a three-time world champion, though not to the point of tying the hands of his winner, who has a much more important battle ahead.
Opportunity to participate Oleksandr Usyk in boxing matches has been postponed indefinitely as the undefeated two-division champion and current IBF, WBA and WBO heavyweight champion took up arms to defend his country from Russian military aggression.
Usyk, along with his compatriot and brother-in-law, former three-weight champion Vasily Lomachenko, followed the lead of former heavyweight champions Vitali and Wladimir Klitschko and joined the Territorial Defense Battalion to defend their homeland from Russian invasion.
The war in Usyk's home country actually puts his boxing career on hold, and with it the obligatory rematch with the Englishman Joshua, whom he defeated on September 25 last year in London. Joshua (24-2, 22 KOs) took advantage of a rematch clause tentatively scheduled for late spring while Matchroom Boxing, Joshua's longtime promoter, looked for a suitable venue to rematch.
No matter how long the military invasion lasts, according to Hearn, Joshua and his representatives are ready to wait.
“This is a very personal and emotional time for Usyk and our thoughts are definitely with him,” said Eddie Hearn, head of Matchroom Sport. "We respect his situation and will give him all the time he needs to be ready for the fight again. But we do not refuse revenge, we will continue to strive for it. AJ just got offered a lot of money to pull out of this fight and he didn't take it."
“If we have to have an intermediate fight in May or June, we will be happy to do it,” Hearn said of a possible solution that will satisfy both parties. "After that, we will fight Usyk when the situation is resolved. We have not heard anything official from his team, but it seems wrong to address and ask: "Is everything okay with our fight." We respect what he's going through and are ready to give him as much time as he needs."
