ANTHONY JOSHUA could still face Tyson Fury this year – despite his September showdown with Oleksandr Usyk.
That’s according to Fury’s co-promoter and Top Rank Boxing chief Bob Arum.
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The pair were meant to trade blows in August but saw their long-awaited Saudi showdown scuppered when an American judge ordered Fury to have a trilogy fight with Wilder.
Joshua, 31, is now on course to face former undisputed cruiserweight king Usyk in September, but Arum reckons a December clash with The Gypsy King is still possible.
He told SnowqueenLA: “That fight [Joshua vs. Fury] was going to happen if not for the arbitrator.
“Both Joshua and Fury want that fight. Joshua doesn’t have a walk in the park with Usyk.
‘Usyk is a very good boxer. Obviously, we’ll have to see, but if Fury wins [against Wilder] and Joshua wins, it’s logical that they fight each other.
“If Joshua fights in September, he can still make a fight in December. I know in the Middle East, that’s the month they want a big fight to take place.
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“They’re opening up a new area in Saudi Arabia in December, and they want to open it up with a big fight.”
Team Joshua are refusing to overlook the sizeable challenge the undefeated Usyk presents, with promoter Eddie Hearn admitting the Ukrainian could ‘derail’ his golden goose’s career.
The Matchroom Boxing chief told Sky Sports: “We have both alerted the WBO, myself and (Usyk’s promoter) Alex Krassyuk.
“Terms are agreed. The offer we made to them has been accepted.
“We move forward to paper that now. We are going through the contract with their team.
“It is very amicable. They have been partners of ours for a long time.
“This is a fight that could derail the career of Joshua if he’s not on it, if he’s not 100 per cent.
“AJ needs to be ruthless. He needs to show the [ruthlessness of] Derek Chisora with more cuteness and sharpness.”
“AJ wants to make a statement, these are the fights that he likes.”
Both men, according to Hearn, are relishing the fight – which is currently slated for September 25.
He added: “Usyk just wants the fight, he wants the opportunity to become heavyweight champion
“[Joshua] loves the fight. We all know it’s tricky, we all know it’s difficult.
“But what else are we going to do?
“AJ is a throwback fighter and, for years and years, has faced all of the people that [were made his mandatory challengers].”
