By Barry Holbrook: Anthony Joshua won’t be fighting Joe Joye for his interim fight while he waits for Oleksandr Usyk to return from defending Ukraine from the Russian invasion.
Frank Smith of Matchroom Boxing said while it would be great for the top ten ranked Joyce (13-0, 12 KOs) to be given a chance to fight the #1 commercially rated heavyweight Joshua, it remains to be seen who they select.
Eddie Hearn of Matchroom said they wouldn’t select a top-three ranked heavyweight. Joyce is rated #2 with the WBO and #3 with the WBC.
Earlier today, Hearn told iFL TV that he spoke with Usyk’s promoter Alex Krassyuk, and he was told that Oleksandr would need more time before he’s available to fight.
Hearn is now talking about having Joshua fight in May or June for an interim fight. He didn’t mention any names, however.
Joshua to take an interim fight
“I think Usyk has a lot more bigger things in his life right now than this fight,” said Frank Smith to Boxing King Media on the deadline for Anthony Joshua’s fight. “We’re completely mindful 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’s going to play out over the not-too-distant future.
“The obvious discussions are that if that fight doesn’t happen next, and then there’s going to be an interim fight. That fight [Joshua vs. Usyk] is one we can make down the line,” said Smith of the rematch between Joshua and Usyk.
“Let’s see how that plays out on that front and what’s ahead of us. Like I say, our thoughts are with Usyk and everyone affected by the situation. In time, we’ll see how that plays out,” said Smith.
As long as Usyk comes out of the Ukraine war without any injuries, we should see a rematch between him and Joshua at some point.
What could get in the way of the fight is if the war lingers on for a year or two, becoming a grueling protracted affair that drags on.
Given Joshua’s struggles inside the ring in the last four fights, he may not have the shelflife to make it through another two years waiting for Usyk to return from the war.
On the bright side, Joshua has made enough money to live well for the rest of his life, even if he never gets a chance to fight Usyk again.
Joe Joyce is unlikely to get Joshua fight
“There are a lot of things that play into it,” said Smith when asked for potential names for Joshua’s interim fight. “How much time do we got in between? Is it going to be a quick couple of months in between?
“So, I think that has to play into it, and then we take a view from there. If it’s going to be a six or eight-month period, then you have to take a different view.
“AJ is willing to fight anyone. He’s shown that time and time again. He’s not shied away from any challenges. It’s a fight that has to make sense, especially with the unified worked title fight rematch coming next.
“We’ll have to see how that plays out and the details, and then we can go from there. I don’t really think so,” said Frank Smith when asked if Joe Joyce makes sense for Joshua’s next opponent.
“Joe Joyce is a top-ten rated heavyweight, but we need to see. The period of time that we’ve got. Is there enough time, and then we’ll make a call from there? Anthony Joshua makes sense for Joe Joyce because he wants to go in there and fight the commercially biggest heavyweight there is. So let’s see,” said Smith.
