Anthony Joshua Advised To Let Tyson Fury-Oleksandr Usyk Happen

If Anthony Joshua delayed his rematch with Oleksandr Usyk, then Tyson Fury could potentially step in and face Usyk in a full division unification match.

This seems to be what Tyson Fury’s co-promoters Bob Arum and Frank Warren are hoping for.

“I think it would be maybe wise to not force a fight with Usyk right away and let Usyk fight Tyson Fury and the winner to fight Joshua and Joshua to have an interim fight in the meantime,” Arum said.

“That’s what I hope and that’s the sensible thing. Whether it works out that way or not is not dependent on me, it’s dependent on Joshua.”

Arum, Top Rank’s CEO, thinks Joshua shouldn’t force an immediate rematch with Usyk, despite Joshua already exercising the contractual right to face the Ukrainian boxer again some time in 2022 in hopes to regain his WBA, IBF, WBO and IBO world heavyweight titles.

Joshua is promoted by Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Boxing.

“F— Eddie Hearn. He has nothing to say about it…,” Arum said.

“No, Joshua will make the decision for Joshua, and Joshua will make whatever decision he feels is correct.”

Meanwhile, on the WBC side, the council is expected to order Fury (31-0-1, 22 KOs) to make a mandatory defense against interim titleholder Dillian Whyte (28-2, 2 KOs), who was supposed to fight Otto Wallin on October 30, but pulled out due to a shoulder injury.

Warren, however, said Fury is in no hurry to face Whyte.

“There’s no rush, and there’s no rush from Tyson’s perspective. As I’ve said to everybody, it doesn’t matter what anybody says. He [Fury] will do what he wants to do,” he said.

Fury successfully retained his WBC heavyweight title on October 9 with a 11th round stoppage of longtime rival Deontay Wilder.

Between Joshua-Usyk and Fury-Whyte, there’s nothing made official yet.