Oleksandr Usyk would be willing to stage a third meeting with Anthony Joshua if he is unable to take on Tyson Fury.
Usyk beat the Briton again last month in their heavyweight rematch that was staged in Saudi Arabia almost a year after he inflicted a first defeat on his rival in the UK. It was expected that the Ukrainian would next challenge Fury for the undisputed titles later this year, but after stating his intentions to have a short break from fighting, it appears the fight has now been shelved until 2023.
Fury instead offered Joshua a shot at the WBC crown, which he has also declared will not take place after 'AJ' missed the deadline. And Usyk has revealed that he would be open to a third clash but only if it is staged in the Olympic Stadium in Kyiv. “If Fury doesn’t agree I think we could try to have another fight," Usyk told Parimatch when discussing a potential third fight with Joshua.
"We already had a match in London and in Saudi Arabia as well, so the next one could be at the Olympic Stadium in Kyiv. He has powerful potential for his development, but he just needs to get rid of people who prevent him progressing. These extra people around him who want to give the best piece of advice, who all want to share his success, he just doesn’t need them. He has to think about his team. But above all he is such a great guy and I wish him good luck.”
The Ukrainian outclassed Joshua in their first meeting at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with his rival unable to close the significant skill gap. After being dethroned, the British star elected to go back to the drawing board and part ways with trainer Robert McCracken by replacing him with experienced coach Robert Garcia.
Joshua was confident of pulling off an upset against all odds in the Middle East but despite showing improvements in his performance, he was unable to break the resistance of Usyk even though he threatened to close the show in the ninth round. The unified champion had his hand raised for a second time, which saw Joshua left hugely frustrated that was reflected in his X-rated post-fight outburst.
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And Usyk believes that Joshua struggled to defeat him due to his "one-punch" gameplan, which left the Ukrainian able to regain control in the final rounds. "He was really well-trained," Usyk said. "But for some reason he focused on delivering one heavy punch.
"During the ninth round he had successful combinations and I admit I didn't manage to dodge some of them. Yes, he was better prepared for the rematch if we compare it with the first bout."
