By Scott Gilfoid: Eddie Hearn is saying the rematch between Anthony Joshua and Oleksandr Usyk must take place by the end of June; otherwise, AJ will take an interim fight.
With Usyk still currently in Ukraine fighting the war there, he might not be ready to go by Hearn’s deadline of late June. If the unbeaten champion isn’t ready by then, Hearn says Joshua (24-2, 22 KOs) will take an interim fight.
The Matchroom Boxing promoter Hearn isn’t saying WHY there’s a pressing need for IBF/WBA/WBO heavyweight champion Usyk (19-0, 13 KOs) to fight AJ by the end of June. What difference does it make if the rematch is delayed until July?
Of course, if Usyk is pressured to return to the ring quickly with a late June deadline, that plays into Joshua’s hands, giving him a better chance of winning the rematch.
You hate to say it, but that could be the rationale for the late June deadline for the Joshua-Usyk II rematch. It’s good for Joshua but terrible for Usyk, who hasn’t been training for the last month while on the Russian front.
“I do think Usyk will take that fight next, we’re looking at the end of June for that fight, and that’s when the fight has GOT to take place by,” Eddie Hearn said to the DAZN Boxing Show about the Joshua vs. Usyk 2 rematch.
Why does the Joshua vs. Usyk 2 rematch have to take place by the end of June? It sure does help Joshua if Usyk is given a deadline for late June, doesn’t it? What’s wrong with July or August?
With Joshua’s career hanging by a thread after two defeats in his last four fights, it becomes clearer why Usyk is being given a late June deadline. Joshua needs any and every advantage he can get to win the rematch with the 2012 Olympic gold medalist Usyk.
Team Usyk needs to call Hearn’s bluff by telling him to go ahead with the interim fight for Joshua if he can’t wait until July or August for the rematch with the former undisputed cruiserweight champion.
The way that Joshua is looking at this point in his career, Hearn will be asking for trouble if he lets him take an interim fight.
The guys Joshua has on his wishlist for his interim match, Otto Wallin, Deontay Wilder, and Joe Joyce, would likely beat the brakes off him. An interim fight will make sense for Joshua if it’s an easy mark with no power and zero chance of winning.
Who would that be? Derek Chisora has been hanging around a lot lately. That would be a nice soft touch for Joshua to get an interim match in if he’s in a hurry to get a fight in by June, but it won’t interest fans.
“If he’s [Usyk] not ready, we’ll push for an interim fight, but my gut feeling right now, and this could change, is that you will be seeing Anthony Joshua v Oleksandr Usyk for the unified world heavyweight championship next,” Hearn added.