Anthony Joshua vs Oleksandr Usyk ‘on the brink of confirmation’ as venue locked

Anthony Joshua’s rematch confirmation with Oleksandr Usyk is just days away, according to boxing promoter Eddie Hearn.

Kemifilani understands that since Usyk took Joshua’s three belts at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in September 2021, the two heavyweights have been locked in a second bout.

Despite initial concerns that the bout would be canceled due to the situation in Usyk’s native Ukraine, the champion has been scheduled to compete on July 23.

Hearn admits, though, that the release date may have to be pushed back, and that an official announcement will be made soon.

“We’re right on the brink now of signing all the paperwork,” the promoter told talkSPORT.

“It [July 23] is only seven weeks away. It is a big job.

“They want to do multi-city, international press tours. There’s TV rights to discuss, there’s sponsorship to discuss.

“It is likely you will see a two or three week delay for that fight to land in August.

“The fight will happen. I’m very confident you will get an official announcement next week.

“It has been a long task, as it always is to sign these big fights.”

According to reports, the bout will take place in Saudi Arabia’s Jeddah Super Dome.

Hearn confesses that he would want to fight at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, but explains why the fight must go to the highest bidder.

Asked about his preference, he said: “Wherever will be the most advantageous to Joshua, which is in London. You always want to fight in your home town.

“The problem is, this fight is a 50/50 split with Usyk, and we have a contractual obligation to maximise the revenue for him.

“So if there’s an opportunity to earn three or four times more money, Usyk is not going to agree to do the fight in AJ’s home city for a quarter of the money.

“It’s a very difficult job. I’ll end up getting the blame whatever happens, but that’s OK, I’ll take it on the chin.

“This is a very dangerous sport and we need to make sure we get the best deal for the fighters.

“We would love to go back to Spurs, but with the offers that have come in around the world, that is unlikely. We’ll see what lands next week.”

Fans will demand an all-British unification bout between Joshua and WBC champion Tyson Fury if Joshua reclaims Usyk’s WBO, WBA, and IBF championships.

A fight between the two has been in the works for years, but Fury insists he is no longer fighting after his recent victory over Dillian Whyte at Wembley Stadium.

Despite this, Hearn has set his sights on Fury, believing that Joshua will be knocked out early in his rematch with Usyk.

He added: “I believe Joshua wins this fight via knockout inside six rounds. It’s a big call.

“But the frame of mind that he’s in, he’s brought Robert Garcia into camp as his new trainer, he looks tremendous.

“The problem with fighting Usyk is everything you hear around it… ‘Oh, I hear he does this, I wonder what it’s like to be in the ring with him’.

“When you’ve done rounds with him, it’s still very difficult, but I think AJ’s experience will help him.

“He will be an underdog going into the fight, great. I think he can do it. I hope everyone’s behind him.

“Hopefully he’ll become three-time world champion and finally set up that massive undisputed fight with Tyson Fury.”