In a twisted turn of events, Anthony Joshua could face Oleksandr Usyk after Deontay Wilder won the arbitration case against Tyson Fury. The verdict states that both the boxers meet inside the ring before September 15. Needless to say, it has caused concerns over the recently announced Anthony Joshua vs Tyson Fury on August 14 in Saudia Arabia.
The hugely anticipated and much-awaited showdown between both the heavyweights has taken years in the making. The British heavyweights have had their fair share of back and forth. Despite many hurdles, promoter Eddie Hearn did everything he could to make this bout happen. Earlier, promoter Bob Arum had stated that the verdict of the case doesn’t scare him. However, as it stands, it seems like Anthony Joshua vs Tyson Fury could be in a lot of trouble following the verdict in the favor of Wilder.
Also Read: Is Anthony Joshua vs Tyson Fury Cancelled Because of Deontay Wilder?
It looks like Anthony Joshua could face former cruiserweight champion Oleksandr Usyk, who is in title contention by virtue of his championship win in the cruiserweight division, is a mandatory title challenger for Joshua’s belt. Usyk made his heavyweight debut with an incredible unanimous decision win over Derek Chisora and was reported to take on Joe Joyce next following the official confirmation of Anthony Joshua vs Tyson Fury.
Anthony Joshua vs Oleksandr Usyk on the cards?
Be that as it may, there are going to be a lot of shuffles in the match-ups, with Fury and Wilder expected to share the ring once again in a trilogy bout for the WBC and Ring heavyweight championship.
Wilder has not competed since his 7th round TKO loss against Fury. Wilder has gone on to accuse Fury of cheating, claiming that the British heavyweight added egg weights in his gloves. Since the loss, Wilder has not appeared much on social media. We do know that he has parted ways with long-time trainer Mark Breland, however, not much is known about what is Deontay Wilder up to these days. Additionally, he has also not revealed any statement following the verdict.
Meanwhile, Joshua has gone on to defend his heavyweight gold once, picking up a stoppage win over Kubrat Pulev. It remains to be seen what lies ahead for Anthony Joshua who will look to continue the same momentum after getting back the heavyweight championship from Andy Ruiz Jr.
Also Read: Anthony Joshua vs Tyson Fury in Jeopardy! Deontay Wilder Wins Arbitration Case Against Gypsy King