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      Anthony Joshua and Oleksandr Usyk have rematch for September world title showdown… but only if Ukrainian pulls off win

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      EDDIE HEARN has revealed Anthony Joshua’s fight with Oleksandr Usyk has a rematch clause included in the deal.But the clause will only be triggered if Usyk wins, allowing Joshua the opportunity to win back his lost belts.
      Anthony Joshua will have a chance to reclaim his belts if he loses to Oleksandr Usyk first time round
      Usyk’s bout with Joshua will be his first shot at a heavyweight title
      AJ is defending his WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, and IBO titles for the second time since he reclaimed the belts after beating Andy Ruiz Jr in December 2019.
      Usyk is Joshua’s WBO mandatory opponent but Hearn has been able to secure a rematch in the deal – the agreement also includes a comeback fight down the road for Usyk if he loses.
      In an interview with Boxing Social, Hearn said: “There will be a [rematch] clause.
      “All the terms are agreed… when you talk about a rematch clause that’s also the biggest fight that a fighter could have.
      “So sometimes people think ‘oh that’s a bad thing’, it’s actually sometimes a good thing.
      “Andy Ruiz ended up actually getting quite a lot of money for his rematch, but it’s a massive opportunity, if Oleksandr Usyk wins he makes an absolute fortune to fight AJ again.”
      Usyk has never been beaten in his professional career and 13 of his 18 wins have come via knockout.

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      That record saw the Ukrainian become the first cruiserweight in history to hold all four major world championships—the WBA (Super), WBC, IBF and WBO titles.
      But Usyk surrendered his belts in 2019 to step up in weight and has since proven his class in the heavyweight division, defeating Chazz Witherspoon before beating Derek Chisora via unanimous decision in October 2020.
      Joshua promises to be a tougher test for the 32-year-old however, with a date still yet to be set for the bout.
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      Eddie Hearn snubbed by Sky Sports in final show with broadcaster after ten years before moving to rivals DAZN

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      EDDIE HEARN was snubbed by Sky Sports at his last show with the broadcasters over his move to rivals DAZN.After almost a decade as their exclusive boxing promoter, bringing through superstars like Anthony Joshua and Katie Taylor, the Matchroom boss has taken his stable to the streaming app in a five-year, £100million move.
      Anthony Joshua promoter Eddie Hearn has signed a deal with DAZNCredit: Reuters
      A 1000-fan card in Newcastle on Saturday was the sign-off but, at the end of the broadcast, there was no slot with Hearn and no package or montage of their most iconic moments.
      Presenters Adam Smith and Johnny Nelson paid tribute to Hearn’s work but the Essex fight mogul confirmed he was blanked by the producers who are watching him take talent away from their channels.
      At the launch of his three-week summer Fight Camp, when asked why he didn’t feature on his last ever Sky show, Hearn confirmed: “I wasn’t asked to.
      “I think, at senior and executive level at Sky, our departure was met with understanding because they are aware of the size of the deal and the opportunity for us globally.
      “I do think, at production level, there were people who probably thought, ‘We are not giving Eddie any air time on Saturday’.
      “But that is alright, I never expected them to come out and glorify me when I am heading to a competitor.
      “I am going to another platform to drive up their subscribers so they probably didn’t want to give me any airtime.
      “They probably thought, ‘We have built Eddie up over the last 10 years and now he is off, so we will talk about our own new deal on Saturday’, which they did a lot of.
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      Conor Benn is among the fighters Hearn has taken to DAZNCredit: The Sun
      “But it’s all fine and we thank them for the wonderful time. Without them we wouldn’t be here and vice versa.”
      Hearn has already convinced rising stars like Conor Benn, Joshua Buatsi and Fabio Wardley to leave Sky and join his British boxing revolution online.
      Joshua is not part of the deal but Hearn is working on getting Dillian Whyte nailed down to his new broadcasters.
      He revealed: “Dillian is potentially going on our end-of-August show in America.
      “We would like him to box twice this year, I think his next one might be slightly smaller than he is used to, because every other fight he is in seems to be a 50-50 war.
      “We are just finalising that and we hope to announce that in the next week.”
      Dillian is happy being with us and I expect to see him box twice this year on DAZN.Eddie Hearn

      When asked if Hearn and subscription service DAZN were in a direct fight with Sky offering Whyte an alternative fight, he said: “Dillian is a pay-per-view fighter with Sky so he will have that opportunity.
      “But that is not what we or DAZN want.
      “In all our talks Dillian is happy being with us and I expect to see him box twice this year on DAZN.”
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      Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder come face-to-face TONIGHT in explosive trilogy build-up after heated words and bad blood

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      DEONTAY WILDER will begin his quest to recapture the WBC world title when he goes face-to-face with Tyson Fury TONIGHT.The heavyweight stars are set to fight for a third time on July 24 in Las Vegas.
      Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury came to blows at their last face-to-faceCredit: EPA
      Up to this point, the build-up has been dominated by the Gypsy King’s failed attempt at fighting Anthony Joshua and the court drama that rubber-stamped this third showdown.
      But the bad blood between the fighters and Wilder’s shot at salvation will take centre stage at a 9pm face-to-face on Tuesday night.
      After a stunning draw in December 2018, 32-year-old Fury dominated last year’s rematch.
      The one-sided contest was followed by continued sniping over the airwaves as the Brit took aim at Wilder’s long list of ‘excuses’.
      Those included being exhausted by a heavy suit he wore for his ring walk and being ‘betrayed’ by his trainer.
      However Wilder, 35, has since claimed that Fury cheated with the boxing world ‘turning a blind eye’.
      The Gypsy King has strongly denied the ‘hurtful’ accusations, which could rear their head again tonight.
      The victory seemingly set Fury on a collision course with Joshua.

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      How Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder stack up ahead of the trilogy fightCredit: SUNSPORT
      Yet a contractually-obliged trilogy clause has, after much wrangling, been activated.
      Neither man has fought since their February 2020 clash, meaning a 17-month absence from the ring when the fight takes place.
      But that will do very little to ease the tension that will be present when the fight is officially announced in Vegas.
      Wilder’s co-manager, Shelly Finkel, has already warned Fury that the American will be ‘dangerous’ in his pursuit of revenge.

      He told Sky Sports: “The most dangerous person to be around is the one who has nothing to lose.
      “He is definitely capable. Again, no excuses, he wasn’t the Deontay we know in that second fight and we’ll be looking to surprise the world.
      “We’re not really that surprised if it happens, but everyone else will and I honestly believe Deontay is going to stop him this time.”
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      Anthony Joshua fears Tyson Fury showdown will ‘NEVER happen’, claims Eddie Hearn after Deontay Wilder court bid

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      ANTHONY JOSHUA does not believe the undisputed fight with Tyson Fury will ever happen.Watford’s WBA, IBF and WBO champ was fuming when the Saudi summer showdown was wrecked by a court bid from Deontay Wilder for a trilogy with the Gypsy King.
      Anthony Joshua fears he will never secure the fight against Tyson FuryCredit: Instagram
      Tyson Fury will face Deontay Wilder for a third time in July instead of taking on JoshuaCredit: Instagram / @gypsyking101
      Promoter Eddie Hearn still reckons he can get it on but says AJ does not.
      Hearn said at the unveiling of his summer Fight Camp on DAZN: “He never felt they wanted the fight, he never felt like Fury wanted it. 
      “When it fell through he was like ‘I f****** knew it, you’re f****** jokes, all of you’.
      “It was strange to see him do it and he fired a few tweets out, he usually does one and goes quiet.
      “AJ probably thinks the fight will never happen. I would like to be more hopeful and think it will.”
      Wilder faces Fury on July 24 while Joshua, 31, is set to meet Oleksandr Usyk in September.
      Hearn said: “If AJ knocks out Usyk and Fury knocks out Wilder then, in four months time, we have an even bigger fight.
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      Hearn still hopes to make the fight between Joshua and FuryCredit: Getty
      “We have both alerted the WBO, myself and 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.”

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      Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury fight talks OVER as Hearn warns AJ to focus on Usyk and avoid Ruiz Jr repeat

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      ANTHONY JOSHUA’s proposed undisputed heavyweight title fight with Tyson Fury is currently dead in the water, his promoter Eddie Hearn has revealed.AJ was on course to share the ring with Fury in August before The Gypsy King was ordered to have a trilogy fight with Deontay Wilder.
      Anthony Joshua was due to face Tyson Fury on August 14Credit: The Sun
      But The Gypsy King was last month ordered to have a trilogy fight with Deontay WilderCredit: Getty
      Team Fury were hoping to reschedule the fight for December, but Hearn has revealed talks over a new date have yet to take place.
      The 42-year-old told Sky Sports: “Do you know what, I think right now, let’s just forget about that fight.
      “The only good thing to come out of this is that we have two good heavyweight fights.
      “These aren’t marking time fights for Fury and AJ. These are two competitive, dangerous fights.
      “This summer, you’ve got Fury-Wilder and hopefully AJ-Usyk as well. Two good heavyweight fights.
      “Once those two nights are complete, let’s go back to where we kicked off before, because right now, there’s no conversations from the other side to us saying, ‘Let’s just get it in the diary for December or January.’ I don’t really want to get into that conversation.
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      Eddie Hearn has yet to hold talks over a possible December date for Joshua vs FuryCredit: Matchroom Boxing

      “I want AJ to focus on Oleksandr Usyk.
      “Any work that takes place will go on behind closed doors, but we can’t make the same mistake that we made against Andy Ruiz, which was, ‘We just want Wilder, we just want Wilder.'”
      WBC champ Fury, 32, is set to renew his rivalry with Wilder on July 24 at the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
      Joshua, meanwhile, is on course to defend his unified titles against former undisputed cruiserweight champion Oleksandr Usyk.
      The Watford warrior’s WBO mandatory is slated to take place at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on September 25.
      A deal for the Olympic gold medallists to trade heavy leather has been agreed.
      Hearn said: “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.”
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      Nate Diaz says Jake Paul fight is ‘an option’ following YouTuber’s vows to KO him after Leon Edwards UFC loss

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      UFC superstar Nate Diaz admits boxing Jake Paul is a real ‘option’ in the future.YouTuber turned boxer Paul has been calling for a showdown with the youngest Diaz brother for the best part of six months.
      Nate Diaz returned to the octagon last weekend at UFC 263Credit: Getty
      And he was called out by Jake Paul immediately after his clash with Leon EdwardsCredit: Getty
      And fan favourite Diaz is open to sharing the ring with The Problem Child after the expiration of his UFC contract.
      When asked about potentially facing the Paul brothers and being told of the praise he recently received from boxing great Andre Ward, he said: “Those are all options.
      “And it’s great to hear Andre Ward talk about [us].
      “That’s one of the greatest of all time in boxing, I believe. Pound-for-pound, that’s the man.
      “That’s cool that I’m getting recognition from him at all.”
      Paul, 24, made an immediate beeline for Diaz last weekend after seeing the Stockton slugger lose his UFC 263 showdown with Brit Leon Edwards.
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      I will knockout Nate Diaz after I knockout Woodley— Paul Paul (@jakepaul) June 13, 2021

      He said: “I will knockout Nate Diaz after I knockout Woodley.”
      Paul’s call-outs of Diaz haven’t gone unnoticed by the Ultimate Fighter season five winner, who is far from a fan of the former Disney star.
      He tweeted: “Jake Paul u need your ass beat for free u spoiled f**k u can’t really fight dumbs**t.
      “You’re gonna end up with your ass whooped for real somewhere talking like that.’
      Diaz, 36, suffered a unanimous decision defeat to Edwards but came close to springing a huge upset in the final minute of their welterweight showdown.

      Nate Diaz suffered a unanimous decision defeat to Leon Edwards at UFC 263Credit: Getty

      In his post-fight interview, he said: “I had a hard time getting going all day today – all month long.
      “I got a cut in training about a month ago and I had a really good flow going in training. I think it slowed my whole momentum down.
      “Congratulations to Leon. I wish I would’ve took his ass the f**k out. I want to say congratulations to everyone for the support, I appreciate it.
      “It’s the Nick Diaz, we’re lions out here – my whole team.
      “I appreciate the love and the support from everybody – the whole army and all the fans. Thanks to Arizona for the love.”
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      Five possible opponents for Mike Tyson as big comeback announced for September including Evander Holyfield

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      BOXING legend Mike Tyson is set to return to the ring later this year – but the Baddest Man on the Planet is currently without an opponent.The former undisputed heavyweight champion of the world returned to action last November for an exhibition bout with Roy Jones Jr, his first fight in over 15 years.
      Mike Tyson returned to the ring last November for an exhibition with Roy Jones JrCredit: REUTERS
      And Iron Mike is planning to get back into the squared circle in SeptemberCredit: AP
      And Tyson’s current coach – legendary MMA trainer Rafael Cordeiro – recently revealed they’re training for a September outing.
      He told MMA Fighting: “We continue training. He’s an athlete and is always training, hitting pads here in the gym.
      “I think we’re going to have something in September.
      “I don’t know who because his company Legends Only League is working on it and negotiating a TV deal so they can announce a schedule, but we’re training.
      “We’ll be fighting in September.”
      Several names are in the running to face Iron Mike, so SunSport thought it’d only be right to reveal some of the frontrunners to face the 54-year-old.
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      Evander Holyfield
      Tyson’s old rival Evander Holyfield is gearing up to make his own return to the squared circle this year.
      The Real Deal will be welcomed back to the ring later this year by Kevin McBride, who was the final opponent of Tyson’s professional career.
      The pair’s clash was due to take place on June 5 but has not yet been rescheduled.
      If Holyfield gets through the fight unscathed – or if the contest is cancelled – there’s a chance a trilogy fight with Tyson could come to fruition.
      A trilogy fight between Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield could be on the talksCredit: Getty
      Lennox Lewis
      In April, Tyson claimed his second exhibition would be a rematch with his old foe Lennox Lewis.
      Lewis subsequently confirmed he’s open to accepting the fight and revealed talks are ongoing.
      When asked if a deal was in place, he told Fox Sports: “Not yet, but soon — maybe. We’re talking.”
      But both men have gone quiet on the bout, which would be a watered-down version of their June 2002 clash, which Lewis won by KO in the eighth.
      Lennox Lewis threw down with Mike Tyson in June 2002Credit: Getty
      Shannon Briggs
      Shannon Briggs threw his name into the hat to welcome Tyson back to the ring last year but was ultimately snubbed in favour of Jones Jr.
      And The Cannon is still eager to face his fellow New Yorker, recently calling for the fight on Instagram.
      In a video of himself hitting the bag, Briggs said: “They hatin’ on me. I don’t know why they won’t give me a shot.
      “Come on y’all, give me a shot.”
      Shannon Briggs is desperate to share the ring with Mike TysonCredit: Getty
      James Toney
      Former three-weight world champion James Toney is also one of the many fighters interested in sharing the ring with Tyson.
      Lights Out called out Tyson in March, telling him: “You better not wear a mini-skirt to our fight. No jokes. Lights Out!”
      Toney made a beeline for Tyson and Holyfield last May after the pair announced their respective intentions to return to the ring.
      He said: “To all those bringing up my name in these exhibition fight, count me in.
      “If they want to do it, give me a call. I ain’t going nowhere.”
      Three-weight world champion James Toney is desperate to face Mike TysonCredit: Getty

      Wladimir Klitschko
      Former unified heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko has been teasing a return to the ring ever since his retirement from the sport in 2017.
      So an exhibition against one of the fighters he used to look up to could be the perfect way for him to get back into the ring without taking too much damage.
      The Ukrainian, 45, hasn’t appeared to be training much as of late.
      But he recently teased a return in January in a motivational Instagram post, in which he asked: “You know what people love to see more than anything in this world? A comeback!!!”
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      Anthony Joshua could STILL face Tyson Fury this year despite September clash with Oleksandr Usyk, says promoter Bob Arum

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      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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      Bob Arum reckons Tyson Fury could still face Tyson Fury this yearCredit: Getty
      Anthony Joshua was champing at the bit to face Tyson Fury this yearCredit: Reuters
      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.

      “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].”
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