There’s no agreement. Reports are increasingly at odds with the narrative that indicated a fight shaping up between Oleksandr Usyk and Deontay Wilder. With Usyk’s unified title at stake, news about a history-making bout against the former WBC titleholder at San Francisco’s Civic Center Plaza had social media buzzing. Planned for July 11, it would take place in an open-air boxing arena and be live-streamed on YouTube. It aimed to break Tony Zale and Billy Pryor’s 85-year-old record in boxing attendance. Yet despite all the tailwinds, it’s increasingly looking like wishful thinking.

As far as Usyk’s team is concerned, there’s no contract that seals the fight between the heavyweight champion and the American challenger. Having won 24 rounds each against Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua, Wilder remains the only member of the ‘big three’ club Oleksandr Usyk has yet to face – the final jewel to deck the crown as he enters the last stretch of his outstanding career.

Oleksandr Usyk vs. Deontay Wilder: Title showdown still up in the air

Sources claim Team Usyk has come down heavily on reports about the fight with Deontay Wilder. “🚨 TEAM USYK SOURCES DISMISS IVB & WILDER TALK,” the tweet from Boxing King Media read. “Sources close to Team Usyk say there is no contract or agreement in place for a potential iVB-backed fight with Deontay Wilder on July 11th in San Francisco.”

According to the post, talks had indeed taken place between the two sides. However, it never progressed beyond initial discussions. Usyk’s team believes the champion’s name is being used for mere clout chasing. As of now, there’s no confirmed fight on the books between Usyk and Wilder.

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Any talks right now are purely speculative. Veteran boxing journalist Dan Rafael shared a similar update: “Wilder manager Shelly Finkel told me Thursday night that there has been no discussion of doing Usyk-Wilder with Ed Pereira. None, and that he doesn’t know the guy at all.”

Talks about the Usyk-Wilder fight reportedly revolve around comments from Ed Pereira, Chief Executive of iVisit Boxing (iVB), the live sports entertainment organization.

Chasing glory: Usyk’s dreams and the Wilder showdown

Speaking about the heavyweight matchup, he had earlier told media, “This world-record attempt will belong to San Francisco. It belongs to its fans, its fighters, and its communities. San Francisco’s commitment to community and public engagement reflects iVB’s belief that boxing should be built around its fans.”

But in the end, this looks like nothing more than a bubble.

Earlier, speaking about the matchup against Wilder, Usyk sounded quite enthusiastic. He looks forward to a fight in the United States. While he has been a champion on the road, winning titles mostly outside his native Ukraine, the unified champion has yet to face an opponent in mainland America since his last fight against Chazz Witherspoon.

To that end, he received ample support when WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman flagged his request for a voluntary title defense against Wilder. In the absence of the American, Usyk faces a potential title defense against rising star and interim champion Agit Kabayel, who just days ago scored a brilliant knockout over Damien Knyba.