Oleksandr Usyk and Anthony Joshua will return to the ring for round thirteen of their saga this summer. During a recent appearance on The DAZN Boxing Show, Matchroom Sport Ltd. CEO Eddie Hearn revealed that the two fighters are preparing for a fight on either August 13, 2022 or August 20, 2022. However, an exact location has not been determined as of yet.
“This fight is on and you will get an official announcement early next week,” Hearn told BBC.
Anthony Joshua will look to bounce back after the second loss of his professional career. In September, undisputed cruiserweight champion Oleksandr Usyk moved up in weight to defeat Joshua by decision in September. All three judges scored the bout in favor of the Ukranian fighter by scores of 117–112, 116–112 and 115–113.
“[AJ] understands that in a fight of this magnitude, things do take time. It’s taken time but we’re in a great place. He’s been training throughout,” Hearn added.
Usyk has never lost a professional bout, but he is also overcoming a number of obstacles heading into a rematch. Months after his victory against Joshua, Usyk entered into the armed services as Russia invaded Ukraine. During his time in the armed services, Bad Left Hook reports that he lost nearly 20 pounds.
The winner of the upcoming bout may be in line for another major fight before the end of the year. Multiple outlets have reported that lineal heavyweight champion Tyson Fury would fight the winner of Usyk-Joshua II. However, Fury has called all reports of his return “rubbish.”
