"It's more likely he won't" - Eddie Hearn backtracks on Oleksandr Usyk fighting Anthony Joshua next
Eddie Hearn has provided another update on the ongoing Oleksandr Usyk vs. Anthony Joshua rematch saga.
The two men were set to clash again after their September 2021 thriller. Usyk sprung an upset on the Unified Heavyweight Champion, beating Joshua via unanimous decision. Following the loss, 'AJ' activated his rematch clause.
Before the rematch could be scheduled, Usyk enlisted in the Ukrainian military reserves due to Russia invading his home country. Last week, Eddie Hearn showed renewed optimism in the rematch occurring as the boxer was given government clearance to leave.
However, it seems that Hearn has backtracked on his previous statements. In an interview with talkSPORT Boxing, the head of Matchroom Boxing revealed that Usyk's likely to stay in the wartorn country on the frontlines:
"Usyk’s in Ukraine, but obviously it’s a very personal, emotional situation for them and boxing takes a back seat in that respect... He needs to start training camp, so therefore really right now he needs to leave the country. Vasyl Lomachenko last night has come out and said, ‘I’m not gonna fight George Kambosos Jr. in June because I don’t want to leave Ukraine.’ They [Loma and Usyk] are so close, the pair of them – it would be unusual for one to go one way and one to go the other."
Told by Eddie Hearn that he's now once again unsure whether Oleksandr Usyk will take the Anthony Joshua rematch next. In recent days he said he was expecting Usyk to do so, but after Vasyl Lomachenko decided to stay in Ukraine he now thinks Usyk may do the same.
Eddie Hearn reveals possible replacement fights for Anthony Joshua
With Oleksandr Usyk on the shelf, it seems that Anthony Joshua isn't in the mood to wait around.
'AJ' has previously stated that he would love to have an interim fight while he awaits his rematch with the Ukrainian. The Brit has previously noted that he'd be open to fighting anyone. However, his first pick would be to fight Deontay Wilder later this year.
According to Eddie Hearn, that's not exactly realistic. In the same interview with talkSPORT Boxing, he discussed potential opponents for Joshua. He noted that it would make sense for the Brit to face off against a southpaw like Usyk before their rematch:
"I think from a southpaw perspective, which would be great preparation for the Usyk fight, you’ve got Luis Ortiz and you’ve got Otto Wallin. You’ve [also] got Joe Joyce calling 'AJ' out. 'AJ' talks about Deontay Wilder, which is unrealistic as far as I’m concerned, but he doesn’t want to fight a warm-up fight."
Watch Eddie Hearn's interview with talkSPORT Boxing below: