"We're moving forward"- Eddie Hearn claims Anthony Joshua vs. Oleksandr Usyk II is still on despite war in Ukraine
Despite the ongoing war in Oleksandr Usyk's country, Eddie Hearn maintains that his rematch against Anthony Joshua is still happening.
In September 2021, then-Unified Heavyweight Champion 'AJ' was expected to steamroll his Ukrainian counterpart. However, Usyk upset the odds and dominated the Brit. He won the gold via a lopsided unanimous decision.
Following the fight, Joshua immediately activated his rematch clause. Despite that, the bout quickly began to run into complications. 'AJ' was in discussions to step-aside from the rematch and also left his trainer following his loss. In addition to those hurdles, there's now another massive one.
Usyk's home country of Ukraine is currently being invaded by Russia. Despite the war, Eddie Hearn has maintained that they're moving forward with the fight. In an interview with Boxing King Media, he said:
"I feel bad saying it. But as far as I'm concerned, we're moving forward with the fight. Like nobody has spoken to me from team Usyk to say there could be a problem. But there's obviously bigger things on their plate right now. We respect that, it's an emotional time for those guys in that country. We're preparing still for May or early June."
Watch Eddie Hearn's interview with Boxing King Media below:
Oleksandr Usyk has joined the Ukrainian Defense Force amidst Russian invasion
Oleksandr Usyk was in the U.K. when it was announced that Russia was going to invade his home country of Ukraine. While he could have easily just stayed safe in England, he decided to return home and plead against the war.
'The Cat' posted several posts to his Instagram speaking directly to Russia, wishing for an end to the war. However, it seems that the Heavyweight Champion has decided that words aren't enough. Usyk recently enlisted in the Ukrainian Defense Force to defend Kyiv.
Oleksandr Usyk joined the Kyiv Territorial Defense in Ukraine to defend his country from Vladimir Putin's invasion by Russia… https://t.co/UUHZy0ADVe
The heavyweight kingpin is among a long line of individuals who are willing to fight for his homeland. In addition to Usyk, the legendary Klitschko brothers, Wladamir and Vitali, have vowed to take up arms against the invaders. 'The Cat's friend and countryman Vasily Lomachenko also enrolled yesterday.
Oleksandr Usyk's rematch against Anthony Joshua is likely to be one of the biggest fights of the year. However, it seems that the Ukrainian has far bigger things to deal with at the moment.