Usyk has fought – and beaten – both Joshua and Fury and has now predicted how a fight between the Brits might play out
Oleksandr Usyk has backed Anthony Joshua to beat Tyson Fury if the Brits finally fight next year.
Usyk has fought both men, outpointing Joshua to become heavyweight world champion before beating him again in the rematch, while he beat Fury earlier this year to be crowned the undisputed ruler of the division. Usyk will take on Fury again in December while Joshua is preparing to face Daniel Dubois next month.
If the Brits win their respective bouts, they could meet early in 2025, 10 years after their rivalry began. And Usyk believes Joshua would come out on top, telling Boxing King Media : “I guess Anthony, ‘AJ’. I guess ‘AJ’.”
Barry Hearn, father to Joshua’s promoter Eddie, believes the fight can happen even if Fury loses to Usyk again. “Joshua against Tyson Fury in early 2025 is the fight that we have a responsibility to deliver and we don’t walk away from our responsibilities,”
“I think it’s all of our duty, those involved. We have to keep delivering the very best product. We need to do that fight. I think personally that Usyk beats Fury in the rematch. It’s easier to make if Fury beats Usyk, because then if Joshua has beaten [Daniel] Dubois then you’ve got the unification fight because Joshua will hold the IBF belt.
“Usyk is a top-class world champion as a boxer, but doesn’t have the commercial appeal of Tyson Fury. So whatever happens in Fury-Usyk still assuming that AJ has won – and mustn’t get carried away with that, it’s not a foregone conclusion – assuming that AJ is victorious in that fight, there is no bigger fight in the world still than Fury and AJ.
“It’s the one the world’s waiting for. There isn’t a venue big enough to stage the number of people that would like to attend that. It will be colossal.” Joshua and Fury came closest to fighting in 2021 when terms were agreed for the showdown. But Fury was instead forced to fight Deontay Wilder for a third time as Joshua went on to ultimately lose his belts to Usyk.
