Fight fans have almost certainly heard by now how the scheduled October 29 rematch between Tyson Fury and Wladimir Klitschko is off, due to the heavyweight champion being “medically unfit to fight.” There is talk of Fury suffering from mental issues, but nothing has been confirmed and Fury is of course entitled to his privacy. We wish him well.
But the boxing world moves on and now that Fury-Klitschko II is off for the time being at least (it’s almost a full year now since Fury upset Klitschko to take the titles in Germany) there have been moves to try and make another huge fight involving Wladimir. Promoter Eddie Hearn, who of course looks after reigning IBF champ Anthony Joshua, has conformed that he “reached out” to Berndt Boente, Klitschko’s manager, with the idea of making a Klitschko-Joshua fight.
“Reached out to @Klitschko team – we love the fight!” Hearn wrote on Twitter.
Hearn acknowledges that there would be a number of potential obstacles in the way of making Joshua-Klitschko, not least the contractual details regarding the Klitschko-Fury rematch – would Wladimir be allowed to take another fight instead? Hearn says Joshua, who is scheduled to box on November 26 but does not yet have an ironclad opponent (although IBF mandatory Joseph Parker, who fights Alexander Dimitrenko on October 1st, was yesterday listed as the frontrunner, with the assumption being he wins next Saturday and does not get injured in the fight) is “keen” on the Klitschko fight “in November or thereafter.”
At this point, it is basically just speculation on what might happen and nothing more. Maybe Klitschko will face Joshua on November 26, or maybe, depending on how long Fury will be unable to fight for, Klitschko will face A.J, in a big unification clash, early next year (assuming Joshua beats Parker).
“I’m guessing they have a whole lot of mess to sort out, but AJ is keen on the fight in November or the immediate fight after,” Hearn told The Independent when speaking on Team-Klitschko.
A Klitschko-Joshua fight would be huge and a very interesting fight, but Klitschko has said many times this his sole focus is on getting revenge over Fury. Would the 40-year-old be able to get himself mentally “up” for a fight with any other fighter than Fury, even a belt holder such as Joshua?
At this point we can do nothing but wait and see.
