Will former two-time heavyweight champ Anthony Joshua take step-aside money to allow Tyson Fury to fight his conqueror, Oleksandr Usyk next, or will he not? When the idea was first mentioned to Eddie Hearn, this not long at all after Joshua had been beaten by Usyk, the promoter shot down the idea with some force. But just recently, we saw Joshua give that interview to IFL TV, in which he said he said he also wishes to go down as one of the smartest businessmen in the sport and that if the money was right he would have to consider it.
Hearn has said he still feels Joshua will not agree to step aside, that he craves revenge over Usyk and is preparing for the rematch he has at his disposal due to to the rematch clause. But we are not sure what to think. Alexander Krassyuk, who promotes Usyk, spoke with Sky Sports and he said that he too has heard talk of Joshua perhaps being willing to step aside. Krassyuk said that Usyk would certainly agree to fight Fury next if Joshua did step aside.
“The talks on AJ’s step-aside have been around since Fury KO’d Wilder,” Krassyuk said. “I heard that Joshua could consider stepping aside if the money is right as he feels respect to the division and is willing to let the undisputed heavyweight championship happen. Usyk says that he can fight Fury next if the offer is right and if AJ allows to do so.”
So the ball appears to be in Joshua’s court. How much cash would it take for Joshua to step aside? Bob Arum says the Fury-Usyk fight can happen if Joshua steps aside and that AJ can then fight the winner. But that step-aside figure could prove to be the big obstacle. There is now also talk of who Joshua could fight next if he does agree to let Fury fight Usyk, with Zhilei Zhang’s people saying the towering Chinese heavyweight would be willing to fight Joshua next. Joshua defeated Zhang back in 2012, in the London Olympics and Zhang has craved his own shot at revenge ever since.
“We heard some chatter regarding AJ [needing a new opponent] which we are open to,” Zhang advisor Terry Lane said. “There are rumours that, if he does, then perhaps a fight in China against Zhang would be of interest. We have not discussed this with Matchroom.”
How would fight fans react if Joshua did agree to step-aside, then fought Zhang, and then called for the Fury-Usyk winner? Would Joshua lose some respect, or would plenty of fans feel he was being smart in taking ‘free money’ and then getting a shot at regaining his belts? Fighters from the past took step-aside money (Lennox Lewis for one example) and they are still legends of the sport.
Could it really be Fury vs. Usyk next?
After Antonio margarito glove tampered against Miguel Cotto Miguel Cotto was never the same. That’s why there are rules in boxing. Deontay Wilder was beaten by glove tampering and our prayers are with Deontay Wilder and his family. We wish the best for them and also in hopes of a full recovery from the eggweight loaded glove to the temple and back of the head. All of you idiotic morons should have called both Maricio Suliaman and the Nevada State Athletic Commission on their failure to act on fury’s cheating tactics immediately as the British boxing board of control did suspending fury’s boxing license forever .
The WBC belt must be defended once every twelve months or it will be stripped. Of course fury is exempt from damn near every rule and regulation. Last time fury went two years before a mandatory title defense and wasn’t stripped of the WBC belt.
Oh yes, of course, we never thought about it. Since Anthony Joshua lost fair and square to Oleksandr Usyk, and the greatest heavyweight champion that ever lived without question Deontay Wilder got robbed of his WBC belt, the best heavyweight fight is Deontay Wilder vs Anthony Joshua.
Na, on second thought, go ahead and fix the Anthony Joshua vs Oleksandr Usyk fight like you did the Deontay Wilder vs fury fight. Then it will be just like you wanted Anthony Joshua vs fury.
Then you may pretend you’re champions are the genuine real deal and run and cry from all good fighters, then vacate the belt and claim insanity just one more time.
One fixed fight after another. One guy has padded gloves and the other guy doesn’t have any padding and Deontay Wilders getting hit hard over and over again in the back of the head with a piece of metal again and again.
You are delusional, if a professional boxer had metal in his gloves the would be victim would have suffered severe head trauma including multiple cranial fractures and quite possibly death.
Now you’re bringing some guys from China to fight.
So , it’s unanimous, fury and arum are out.
These two criminals conspired against, insidiously willingly and knowingly putting an eggweight clearly visible through the leather glove in the left glove and removed the padding from the right glove so as to clearly visibly see the finger’s through the leather glove on the right glove and then crowing from the rooftops bragging about it.
Bob arum and fury are both on their way out of boxing and good riddance.
Bob because he is old, and fury because he is a old fat pillow fisted fraud and the heavyweights know that.
Joshua, if you feel so froggy, then jump. You don’t need step-aside money; you’ve lost twice badly. Make a tournament out of it. Let Fury have his fight, and Joshua go fight Deontay Wilder in Wembly Stadium for a huge payday to two over-rated guys with glass jaws. The Winner gets the winner of Tyson Fury’s fight. I know that’s asking a lot, kinda scary to consider the future of the Joshua-Wilder fight. It’s very old school to step up and fight the best in your division like they did in the 70’s, or the way, Mike Tyson, Holyfield, Bowe, Lennox Lewis did.
Anthony Joshua quite possibly can beat Oleksandr Usyk, styles make fights. The favorite will be fury in a fury / Oleksandr Usyk. Make the glove tampering cocaine steroids bribery pillow fisted phoney baloney belt holder pay, or fight Oleksandr Usyk now because any contractual agreement fury promises isn’t worth the paper it’s printed on.
Highly likely the belt will be vacated or stripped.
Deontay Wilder vs Anthony Joshua at Wembley stadium, I wonder why no one else has thought of that in the last decade.
We have a picture of fury’s fingers clearly visible through the leather glove on his right hand.
We have a picture of an eggweight even more clearly visible through the leather glove on fury’s left hand.
Anthony Joshua/ fury is a match wanted by the establishment.
We agree, fury is the old , potbellied guy who’s pillow fisted in both hands. That’s why he was allowed to break the rules when fighting Deontay Wilder. Deontay Wilder, you have to cheat Deontay Wilder to beat Deontay Wilder.
After the boxing establishment executives did all that for fury/ Anthony Joshua, what makes you think Oleksandr Usyk will beat Anthony Joshua just because he’s a better boxer?
Deontay Wilder is a better boxer than fury, by far. Dirty deals, ruthlessness, treachery and corruption win every time.
Anthony Joshua is picking his fights carefully woman not to be defeated anymore. That’s why he never fought Deontay Wilder or Luis Ortiz. The same for Dillian Whyte and fury.
The best should fight the best. These Europeans have been running and hiding avoiding the best fighters and then crowing from the rooftops bragging about how they’re the best. And you all refuse to force them to be true champions like Mike Tyson and Deontay Wilder. Ali, Frazier, Marciano Dempsey and such. Running and crying waaaa waaaa waaaa.
Yes,
1. Deontay Wilder
2. Luis Ortiz