Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury offered Oleksandr Usyk solution by Eddie Hearn

Anthony Joshua demonstrates power in training session

Boxing fans are eager to see Anthony Joshua finally face Tyson Fury this year with the British pair currently holding all the heavyweight title belts. Joshua is due to face Oleksandr Usyk first as the mandatory challenger for his WBO title, but Eddie Hearn has a solution for the Ukrainian.

Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn has offered a solution that would allow Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury to fight as soon as possible.

The all-British affair is all boxing fans want to see next summer.

But Joshua is due to face Oleksandr Usyk first as the mandatory challenger for his WBO title after the Ukrainian earned the bout by beating Derek Chisora last October.

However, in order to get the Joshua v Fury fight on the cards sooner, Hearn has suggested that Usyk take on Joe Joyce for an interim WBO heavyweight title.

“Once they’ve fought for the undisputed championship, after that if the belts get fragmented then so be it,” Hearn told Sky Sports’ Toe2Toe podcast.

“I’d just love that moment to see AJ as undisputed champion.

“You can say to Usyk, ‘set your fight with Joe Joyce maybe for the interim belt, or after that it becomes the full championship.’

“Usyk is a classy guy, he’s a boxing guy through-and-through, he will see that Fury vs AJ is so good for the sport of boxing.

“Does he want to stop the undisputed heavyweight world championship fight? The fans won’t like it if he does as well.

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“But we can’t just disrespect him and say, ‘sorry mate you have to wait.’ The answer I see is for Usyk to fight Joe Joyce.”

Boxing, along with the majority of sports in the UK, has been suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic.

And Hearn believes that this is the time for promoters like himself to put fight cards together that will leave fans drooling.

“Now is a pivotal time in terms of belts and politics,” he added. “We can’t afford in boxing right now to be restricted by the rules and requirements of governing bodies.

“Big fights are what we need in boxing, but at the same time we can’t just disregard a mandatory challenger.

“Yes AJ vs Usyk is a great fight and Fury vs [Deontay] Wilder III is a good fight, but let’s be honest, it will be a letdown for everybody if we don’t see this fight next.”

Even if the WBO belt is not on the line, Hearn is confident that the next time we see Joshua in the ring it will be standing across from Fury.

“Talks are progressing really well,” he said. “I’m confident that late May, early June, we will see that fight.”

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