By Jake Tiernan: Saudi promoter Amer Abdallah of Saudi’s Skill Challenge Entertainment has revealed that negotiations are underway for Anthony Joshua to fight Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury to face Oleksandr Usyk on the same night in December. Abdallah notes that this wouldn’t be a part of a tournament. It’s just two incredible fights on the same night.
At this point, nothing is definite yet for the Joshua-Wilder & Fury-Usyk. The talks are ongoing, but once the negotiations are completed and the fights ready to be announced, a press release will be sent out, says Abdallah.
Joshua (25-3, 22 KOs) will be allowed to take a tuneup before then, but he’ll need to win it for his bout in December to proceed. Abdallah says it won’t be interesting if Joshua comes off a loss.
As such, if Joshua decides to take a warm-up fight in July, as his promoter Eddie Hearn would like, he will have pressure on him to win. If Joshua loses to the grizzled 35-year-old veteran Dillian Whyte, who can still punch, he’ll miss out on his December opportunity to fight Wilder in Saudi Arabia.
“December, there’s a specific date in mind, and once he wants to put out that press release, we’ll put it out. We have it ready, and those fights will be announced, but there might be fights before that also,” said Amer Abdallah of Saudi’s Skill Challenge Entertainment to Boxing King Media about the Joshua vs. Wilder & Fury vs. Usyk mega-clashes in December.
“So December isn’t the first fight we’re looking to do, it’s a fight we’re looking to do, and these names are in the mix. So whether AJ wants to take a tune-up fight and his management thinks it’s good for him or whether he wants to go back down to Texas to work a bit longer with his new trainer.
“Of course, we would,” said Amer Abdullah when asked if they would allow Joshua to take a tune-up fight before his December mega-clash against Deontay. “This is the business side of the sport. If he takes a tune-up fight, he’s got to win the fight. It’s not interesting to us if he comes off a loss. So he’s got to win the fight.”
Amer Abdallah of Saudi Arabia’s Skill Challenge Entertainment has clarified that their plans for major heavyweight fights involving Tyson Fury, Oleksandr Usyk, Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder would not be based on a tournament structure.
