Via Barry Holbrook: Eddie Hearn is starting to get impatient when he wants to know the presence of IBF / WBA / WBO heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk for the rematch with Anthony Joshua.
Hearn says he will soon start questioning Usyk’s team about when he will return from the Ukraine fight to defend his three titles against Joshua in their contract rematch.
Usyk (19-0, 13 KOs) is defending his contract against the recent invasion of Russia, and unsurprisingly he did not say when he will return to defend his title against home. Joshua champion.
When Usyk returns from the fight, it may take him some time to get back into combat form as he may need to rebuild his physique. In a war there is a way to reduce soldiers.
Hearn discussed scheduling Joshua (24-2, 22 KOs) for an interim bout against a contender, but he said it won’t be against a top three contender .
It would be too risky at this stage if Joshua were to face a top-three opponent, having lost his last bout and two of his previous four fights.
Joshua last week said he would be willing to fight either Joe Joyce or Joseph Parker for his interim bout. However, those fighters are not necessarily the opponents that Hearn is looking for Joshua to fight next. In other words, they might be a bit too good for Joshua to use as a busy fight.
It must have been tough mentally for Joshua as he couldn’t finish competing with Usyk the way he did after his defeat to Andy Ruiz Jr in 2019.
“We’ll be asking questions soon, but I don’t really think about starting to probe around and ask, ‘What if you’re ready to fight?’
“But we will have to ask soon and they will have to make a decision,” Eddie Hearn told media Last Saturday night about needing to know when Oleksandr Usyk will be available to face Anthony Joshua in their contract rematch.
“They will have to decide if they have [Team Usyk] ready by the end of May or June, or we’ll put it back and have a temporary batch. But we’re not going to let the rematch go on,” Hearn said.
“He is working well with Angel [Fernandez] in Loughborough. Angel has been an important part of the team in a couple of skirmishes, which really makes AJ feel comfortable and happy, and he’s in that position,” Hearn told iFL TV of the new coach. by Joshua.
