Anthony Joshua next fight plans dealt fresh blow amid Oleksandr Usyk’s bold demand
Anthony Joshua’s quest for redemption has hit a snag as Oleksandr Usyk has doubled down on his intention to rematch with Daniel Dubois in his next fight.
After the WBO mandated that Usyk and Joseph Parker enter negotiations for a mandatory heavyweight clash, setting a 30-day window for them to conclude terms following Parker’s win over Martin Bakole, it appeared ‘AJ’ might be back-on-track. In their communication, the WBO asserted: “Please be advised that the WBO World Championship Committee is hereby ordering the commencement of negotiations between the subject matters fighters to discharge the WBO mandatory championship obligation in the heavyweight division.
“By virtue of this order, the WBO Interim Championship shall be terminated expeditiously in compliance with our institutional policy of only one world champion per weight class. The two parties have 30 days to reach terms. Failure to do so will result in this Committee ordering purse bid proceedings in accordance with WBO Regulations of World Championship Contests.”
AJ, hungry for a chance to avenge his previous defeat to ‘Triple D’, would have welcomed this turn of events. Their previous match-up at Wembley Stadium saw Dubois deliver a knockout blow in the fifth round that floored Joshua.
Nonetheless, Usyk’s latest pronouncement – favouring a fight with Dubois – could derail Joshua’s hopes for a swift return to winning ways. Ukraine champion Usyk has signalled a keen interest to face Daniel Dubois in the boxing ring, letting it be known during a conversation with Al Arabiya News: “We want to fight Dubois. My team is ready.
READ MORE : Anthony Joshua’s hopes of redemption have taken a hit as Oleksandr Usyk has…
“A lot depends on how God will give us a way to do it and the second person who can do that is His Excellency, Turki Alalshikh, because he is the person who can organise this fight. I think there would be obstacles otherwise.”
Further extolling the merits of Saudi Arabia as a stage for boxing, Usyk remarked: “The only person who can organise it is His Excellency and the Riyadh season. You know, I always fought on the land of my opponents.
“At present, Saudi Arabia has created the best environment, and organised these fights, so it has become like my second home. When I box in Saudi Arabia, it feels like our second home with great people and great fans. We can go to look around and meet with people. Currently, we can’t host fights in Ukraine, but we can have them in Saudi Arabia – and they are very kind to us.”
The anticipated rematch between Usyk and Dubois is generating significant buzz, with speculation mounting that their potential undisputed heavyweight world title clash could even take place at Wembley Stadium in London. Alexander Krassyuk, the promoter for Usyk, revealed to Sky Sports that discussions are underway for the fight, with Wembley being one of the considered venues.
The two heavyweights previously met in 2023, with Usyk securing a ninth-round TKO victory.
