Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk contract clause could determine Anthony Joshua's next fight, per reports
A contract clause in the Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk matchup could determine Anthony Joshua's next fight. Presently, Fury is scheduled to box former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou for the 'Riyadh Champion' belt in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on October 28, 2023.
The WBC heavyweight champion has also signed a contract to fight Oleksandr Usyk in Riyadh after the Ngannou matchup. The Fury-Usyk matchup would have Fury's WBC heavyweight belt at stake, in addition to Usyk's WBA, WBO, and IBF heavyweight titles.
The Fury-Usyk showdown's winner would be crowned boxing's new undisputed heavyweight champion. The highly-anticipated fight is being targeted for December 2023 or January 2024. It could be delayed if Tyson Fury sustains significant damage/injury in his matchup against Francis Ngannou on October 28, 2023.
There's also been widespread speculation that Anthony Joshua is eyeing a long-awaited grudge match against archrival and fellow UK boxing megastar Tyson Fury next.
ESPN has reported that there's a two-way rematch clause in the Fury-Usyk fight, whereby the bout's loser could opt for an immediate rematch. Therefore, if the Fury-Usyk fight's loser goes for an immediate rematch after their undisputed title fight, Joshua can't fight either of them next.
Additionally, Joshua is ranked behind Croatia's Filip Hrgovic in the IBF heavyweight rankings. Hrgovic is next in line for an IBF heavyweight title shot.
As per the rotation system concerning unified champions in boxing, it's currently the IBF organization's turn to determine who the unified heavyweight champion fights next. While the IBF has permitted the Tyson Fury-Oleksandr Usyk undisputed title matchup next, the organization sent a letter to all involved parties last week.
The letter emphasized that the Fury-Usyk bout's winner has to make a mandatory IBF title defense. The IBF has warned that it won't grant exceptions and that no intervening bouts would be allowed.
If the Fury-Usyk immediate rematch does materialize, the IBF title won't be at stake in the rematch, and Hrgovic would fight someone else for the vacant IBF title.
Alternatively, if the Fury-Usyk winner doesn't want to vacate the IBF title, he'd have to make a mandatory IBF title defense against Hrgovic before the potential Fury-Usyk rematch. Resultantly, Anthony Joshua could be sidelined for several months, as the consensus is that he's unlikely to face a lower-tier opponent in the meantime.
A closer look at Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua's recent form
While they're yet to fight each other, Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua have been at odds for many years. Fury is coming off a 10th-round TKO victory over Derek Chisora in December 2022. 'The Gypsy King' is unbeaten in his professional boxing career and has gone 6-0 since his split draw against Deontay Wilder in 2018.
Meanwhile, Anthony Joshua's latest outing to the squared circle witnessed him beating Robert Helenius via seventh-round KO in August 2023. After being defeated by Oleksandr Usyk in 2021 and 2022 respectively, 'AJ' has secured a pair of dominant victories. Many foresee Joshua competing in a high-profile title matchup soon.