Eddie Hearn has confirmed that an official announcement for the highly anticipated rematch between Anthony Joshua and Oleksandr Usyk will come next week. Joshua lost his WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, and IBO heavyweight titles to Usyk in back in September 2021 at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium and will see this rematch as a route towards a potential unification fight with Tyson Fury.
Usyk won the first fight on points, stunning the heavyweight champion in his home territory of North London, but Hearn has now confirmed that the rematch will take place in a more neutral venue. The Matchroom promoter was speaking on BBC Five Live to confirm that the 32-year-old Londoner will be likely to fight to reclaim his belts in the middle east.
Speaking with Steve Bunce on BBC Radio Five Live, he said: "The fight, as we know, is done and we're just waiting to confirm the venue for that fight which we're very close to doing." He added. "July 23rd in the middle east is a frontrunner - it's not signed yet but we are nine weeks away so you will get an official announcement next week."
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The winner of the rematch will put themselves in line for a chance to unify the heavyweight division for the first time since April 2000 when Lennox Lewis did so by beating Evander Holyfield. Fury holds the WBC and The Ring titles but appeared to retire after his win over Dillian Whyte at Wembley last month.
However, after the fight wife Paris Fury admitted that a unification fight could well draw her husband out of retirement, a sentiment shared by Hearn. He said on iFL TV: 'It's very easy for Tyson to go back and go, "Look, I'm just gonna have some time now. Let me just think about what I'm going to do. I know I said that after the fight, but let me have some time".
"And they shouldn't strip him, of course not. He doesn't have to retire, he doesn't have to give them a decision when his next fight is just yet. He's just boxed."
'So everything is done properly, but, of course, we all know he's not retiring.
'So I expect to see him fight the winner of Joshua-Usyk in December.'
