Via Barry Holbrook: Anthony Joshua won’t be fighting Joe Joye for his makeshift battle while he waits for Oleksandr Usyk’s return to defend Ukraine from the Russian invasion.
Matchroom Boxing’s Frank Smith said while it would be great for the top-ranked Joyce (13-0, 12 KOs) to be given the chance to fight the commercially highly regarded heavyweight Joshua, it remains to be seen them. choose who.
Matchroom’s Eddie Hearn said it wouldn’t pick a heavyweight contender to rank in the top three. Joyce is ranked #2 with WBO and #3 with WBC.
Earlier today, Hearn told iFL TV that he spoke with Usyk promoter Alex Krassyuk and he was told that Oleksandr will need more time before he is ready to fight.
Hearn is currently talking about having Joshua fight in May or June for an interim bout. However, he did not mention any names.
Joshua to have a temporary fight
Frank Smith said: “I think Usyk has much bigger things in his life right now than this fight. Boxing King Media on the deadline for Anthony Joshua’s fight. “We are fully aware of that.
“First and foremost, our thoughts are with him and his family and everyone affected by the current situation. I think it’s one of those things that will happen in the not too distant future.
“The discussion was obviously if that war doesn’t happen next, and then there will be a temporary war. That war [Joshua vs. Usyk] Smith talks about the rematch between Joshua and Usyk.
“Let’s see how that plays out on that front and what lies ahead of us. Like I said, our thoughts are with Usyk and everyone affected by the circumstances. In time, we’ll see how that plays out,” Smith said.
As long as Usyk comes out of the Ukraine fight without any injuries, we should see a rematch between him and Joshua at some point.
What might stand in the way of the war is that if the war drags on for a year or two, it becomes a protracted protracted affair.
With Joshua struggling inside the ring in the last four bouts, he may not have the deadline to get through the two more years waiting for Usyk to return from the fight.
On the bright side, Joshua made enough money to live comfortably for the rest of his life, even if he never got the chance to fight Usyk again.
Joe Joyce is unlikely to fight Joshua
“There was a lot going on in it when asked about potential names for Joshua’s interim bout,” Smith said. “How much time do we have in between? Is it going to fast in a few months between?
“So I think that has to work, and then we’ll look from there. If it’s a six or eight month period, then you have to take another look.
“AJ is ready to fight anyone. He showed up time and time again. He does not shy away from any challenge. It’s a fight that must make sense, especially with the merged title rematch coming up.
“We’ll have to see how it goes and the details, and then we can go from there. I really don’t think so,” Frank Smith said when asked if Joe Joyce would be a good match for Joshua’s next opponent.
“Joe Joyce is a strong contender to rank in the top 10, but we need to see. The time we had. Is there enough time and then we’ll make a call from there? Anthony Joshua makes sense to Joe Joyce because he wants to get in there and fight the biggest commercial heavyweight there. So let’s see,” Smith said.
Related:
Read: Cutler Oleksandr Usyk Russ Anber doubts he will box while the invasion is underway
NEXT: Hearn reveals Joshua’s picks for next fight: Wilder, Ortiz, Wallin & Joyce
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