Talks aimed at finalising a world heavyweight title fight between Anthony Joshua and Oleksandr Usyk this summer appear to be nearing a successful conclusion.
Joshua (24-1) is set to defend his titles against WBO mandatory contender Usyk following the collapse of his planned unification match with fellow Brit Tyson Fury (30-0-1).
Fury vs Joshua was set to take place in Saudi Arabia on August 14, until Fury lost an arbitration ruling which means he must now meet Deontay Wilder for a third time.
Fury vs Wilder 3 is earmarked for July 24 in Las Vegas, with Joshua vs Usyk likely to take place in late August - potentially the 21st or 28th.
Joshua v Usyk deal appears to be close
Earlier this month the WBO set in motion a 10-day window for Joshua and Usyk to finalise their title fight - or have it go to purse bids. But things appear to be moving towards a deal according to Usyk’s promoter, Alex Krassyuk of K2 Promotions.
He told Sportinglife.com: "Everything goes pretty well. We are finalising some small issues and will probably move to the paperwork."
While Wilder and Usyk both present formidable barriers to Fury vs Joshua being rekindled soon, there remains the possibility the all-British superfight could still happen in 2021.
Big hurdles for Fury and Joshua
Fury is generally a 2/7 chance to beat Wilder once again, while Joshua is a 2/5 shot to see off Usyk.
Any Joshua v Usyk fight would likely be a pay-per-view affair on Sky Sports Box Office, with DAZN in position to stream the bout in the United States and elsewhere around the world.
Usyk presents a very tricky assignment for AJ - with his slick boxing skills being a rarity in the heavyweight division.
The Ukrainian also appears to have bulked up since the Chisora fight. He weighed 217lbs (15st 7lbs) that night - some 23lbs less than AJ did for his last fight against Kubrat Pulev in December 2020.
