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Anthony Joshua Will Vacate His WBO Title if Needed – Says Eddie Hearn

Published 09/24/2020, 7:52 AM EDT

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While everything seems to be getting back to normal, the Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua fight is the only thing that keeps getting hurdles added to its way.

As you might have heard, Oleksandr Usyk vs Dereck Chisora has been officially rescheduled for October 31. Initially set for a date in May, the pandemic played spoilsport and postponed this fight like many others.

So how does this bout affect the Fury vs Joshua fight that is tentatively scheduled to take place in 2021?

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Anthony Joshua is set to fight Kubrat Pulev next, as he is the mandatory challenger. In an ideal world, he wins this fight and moves on to take on Tyson Fury. But that isn’t the case now, as Usyk might stand in his way.

If Usyk comes out victorious against Chisora, then he will be next in line for Joshua’s WBO title as a mandatory challenger. And that isn’t a position to be ignored or taken for a ride!

Joshua seems very inclined to fight Fury in the first half of 2021, so Eddie Hearn gave Usyk a heads up to not expect too much or push too hard for the Joshua fight because he could end up fighting for a vacant title.

Anthony Joshua might vacate the WBO title

Anthony Joshua might even consider dropping his World Boxing Organization title. Though it isn’t preferred, he will do it if he is required to take on Usyk before he gets his hands on Tyson Fury. This would leave Usyk fighting for a vacant title.

Speaking with Boxing Social, Eddie Hearn said, “There’s been a lot of talk about ‘give up the belt,’ but the aim for Anthony Joshua is to be the undisputed heavyweight champion. Will a belt get in the way of him fighting Tyson Fury next? Probably not.

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“Will he vacate a belt and fight Tyson Fury next? Yes, I believe he would if he had to, but would he rather maintain all the belts? One million percent!  I know Tyson Fury has said, ‘I already had all the belts.’ I know, but you’ve never been undisputed.”

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Hearn also said, “I hope that means something to people because it means a lot to Anthony Joshua if we get to a position where AJ is fighting Fury regardless of whether the Wbo allows their title to be on the line.”

If Usyk beats Chisora and Anthony Joshua vacates the title, Usyk and the current #2 contender Daniel Dubois can fight it out. However, Dubois has Joe Joyce to deal with.

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This is like Dillian Whyte’s situation. Even if Usyk agrees to wait it out, there isn’t a guarantee he will get to face Anthony Joshua. Should he wait till 2022? That might not be the wisest decision.

Well, the upcoming fights in 2020 can definitely change the landscape of the heavyweight division.

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Written by:

Anuj Asrani

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