Anthony Joshua Willing to Step Aside for Money; Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk May Happen Sooner Than Expected

Published 11/28/2021, 5:40 AM EST

After losing his heavyweight straps to Oleksandr Usyk, Anthony Joshua has a lot on the line right now. He needs to reclaim his belts in an immediate rematch before targeting other matchups. While the heavyweight unit already has several A-listers to tout, Joshua’s second pro defeat in less than two years has clearly affected his dominant aura in the long race.

A fight against Usyk is his only hope now, but AJ may void that. He has showcased no such intentions as of now, but has hinted at walking away to let Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk fight in a potential unification battle.

When asked by iFL TV about letting ‘The Gypsy King’ replace him in the mix, Joshua said, “If the money’s right, we have to look at it, but respect has a lot more value than just money.” (H/T:- Michael Benson)

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A few weeks back, Anthony Joshua claimed to have no interest in walking away from the rematch and had vowed to offer a much more violent side against his Ukrainian rival this time. It clearly grabbed attention, as several people posed different opinions about it. Hence, despite his latest comments, one cannot assume that ‘AJ’ will step aside.

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Despite Joshua’s target at big money, he may not allow Fury to take his spot against Usyk. Meanwhile, WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury also has several more matchups in his sight. He may have to defend his WBC world heavyweight title against the mandatory contender Dillian Whyte next. It is still not an official thing, but Whyte looks likely to get his shot at ‘The Gypsy King’.

Meanwhile, WBO’s top-tier prodigy Joe Joyce is also being rumored to enter the WBC title race at some point. Hence, Fury may not want to risk it all against Oleksandr Usyk at the time, especially when Joshua has his re-match clause ready.

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Which fight do you see happening next? Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk, or Anthony Joshua vs Oleksandr Usyk 2?

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A senior boxing writer at EssentiallySports, Raj Sarkar is a mass media graduate who is currently pursuing his master’s degree in broadcast journalism. In addition to his current role, he has worked with the MMA team at EssentiallySports and has interviewed prominent fighters such as Ritu Phogat and 'The Red King' Rory MacDonald. Combining his bachelor's degree with his adoration for combat sports, he has earned a combined 3000 plus bylines over the last two years.

Anthony Joshua Willing to Step Aside for Money; Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk May Happen Sooner Than Expected

Will Anthony Joshua clear the way for Tyson Fury in real?

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