The winners of Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk and Anthony Joshua vs. Francis Ngannou may clash in boxing's "biggest ever fight" , says Eddie Hearn
Tyson Fury is set to clash with Oleksandr Usyk to decide the first undisputed heavyweight champion since Lennox Lewis in 1999.
The pair will do battle on Feb. 17, with fellow heavyweight boxers Anthony Joshua and Francis Ngannou set to face off the following month, on Mar. 8. Both bouts with take place in Saudi Arabia.
According to Joshua's promoter, Eddie Hearn, depending on the results of the two fights, fans may be in store for the "biggest boxing match in the history of the sport."
Hearn has come under fire from Lewis for scheduling Joshua vs. Ngannou. Prior to the former UFC champion's fight with Fury in October 2023, the Matchroom Boxing chairman labeled a potential clash between 'The Predator' and 'AJ' as a gimmick fight.
But after a fantastic showing against 'The Gypsy King', Hearn believes that Ngannou has deserved to remain in the top echelon of heavyweight boxing, atleast for now.
He was recently interviewed by Boxing Social, where he commented on the potential winners of Fury vs. Usyk and Joshua vs. Ngannou facing off. Hearn said this:
"You can't say that a guy who dropped [Tyson Fury] and nearly beat him... is not credible as an opponent. I said to Lennox, one of the big reasons we're taking the fight is that we've been told by his Excellency that the winner of [Joshua vs. Ngannou] fights the winner of Fury vs. Usyk."
He continued:
"So we get a straight shot at undisputed [champion status]. And if Fury beats Usyk, which I hope he does, and we beat Ngannou, you've got self-made the biggest fight arguably in the history of the sport."
Catch Eddie Hearn's comments below (5:20):
Deontay Wilder breaks down Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk
Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk will face off in Saudi Arabia next month in a much anticipated clash.
Given the WBC champion's sub-par showing against Francis Ngannou last year, where many felt that the Cameroonian had won the fight, there is a suspicion that 'The Cat' may be too much for a fading Fury.
But Deontay Wilder, who has faced 'The Gypsy King' three times, believes that the fight should be a competitive affair. During a recent interview with Instant Casino, he said this:
"It's a 50-50 fight, anything can happen. People look at Tyson Fury's size as a major advantage but that doesn't necessarily mean nothing because Usyk can stay low to the ground and because Fury's so tall it's going to be difficult to reach down."