Oleksandr Usyk vs. Anthony Joshua II | Sky Sports PPV - 20 August 2022

[big lennox]

I think it is very commendable that Uysk is fighting Joshua. He will be absolutely heartbroken about what is happening to his country. It's just awful what Putin is doing. So, it is not ideal preparation for a world class fight.

But, by having the rematch he will be representing Ukraine and reinforcing the point that it is a soverign country and does not belong to Putin. It will also keep the focus on supporting Ukraine and generate more donations and weapons etc.

[skanksta]

Shades of Joe Louis vs Max Schmeling...

[jimmystone]

Shades of Joe Louis vs Max Schmeling...

How so? Do you agree with Putin that the Ukrainians are Nazis?

[skanksta]

Shades of Joe Louis vs Max Schmeling...

How so? Do you agree with Putin that the Ukrainians are Nazis?

No of course not !
Just a political, war, master race kinda fight.

Seeing a Ukrainian warrior winning a Stadium SuperFight in his flag and whatnot - hopefully good for morale..

[Ruthless-RKO]

[Ruthless-RKO]

Hearn Expects Usyk vs. Joshua Rematch To Take Place in June

“I expect that fight to take place in June,” Hearn told BBC 5 Live on Thursday in London. “I think almost certainly now that will be the next fight for ‘AJ’, which he is extremely happy about. He’s ready to go.

"We are dealing with Alex Krassyuk to finalize the location and hopefully next week we can give you some news to say that this fight is on and it will take place on this date, in this location. Like I said, it’s almost certain that it will be AJ-Usyk next.”

What Usyk said (translated)

“Good evening, everyone,” Usyk said. “I've decided to start preparing for a rematch with Anthony Joshua.

“That’s how I will help my country more and it's better than being in territorial defense and running around Kyiv with a machine gun.

“Dear friend, many of my friends and close ones called me and supported me in this. Haters, I wish you well and wish you happiness, joy and peace.

“Everything will be with God’s blessing. Everything will be with Ukraine. Wishing everyone well."

[Ruthless-RKO]

Eddie Hearn forgets that Anthony Joshua LOST to Oleksandr Usyk

Hearn put out a statement as quoted by DAZN on social media. It wasn’t long before Usyk’s manager Egis Klimas pointed out the mistake.

“They said they would make their decision, and this is their decision. He’s going for it.

“AJ’s over the moon. He turned down a lot of money not to step aside, and then he might not have got the fight without the money.



“He just wants the fight and just wants to fight. I was at the UFC with him, and he was like, ‘I just want to get in there.’

“The only fight that gets him going is the chance to beat Usyk again.

“I spoke with Alex [Usyk’s promoter Alexander Krassyuk] last night, and we’ll talk again tonight. The plan is now to start working on a June fight.

“We’re doing it. It’s a goer.”

[orbtastic]

Well, he had one chance to beat him and failed, now he has another.

It's just poor phrasing.

[Bandog]

Anyone know if there is a rematch clause if AJ wins?

I think if Usyk wins, Fury will retire after his fight with Whyte, as I can't see him beating Usyk. By far more skilled than anyone he has fought. AJ is more of a winnable fight for Fury in my opinion, so he'll take that.

As far as AJ vs Usyk, it isn't going the distance. Usyk wins again.

[Nightmare Roy]

Makes sense, keeps Ukraine in the spot light and if he wins which barring dodgy judge's he likely will, it'll help uplift the spirits of his countrymen.

[margaret thatcher]

aj's gonna win the rematch, and then fight fury for all the marbles in an utterly massive fight

[margaret thatcher]

whoever wins, FFS let's get an undisputed title fight next. way tooo much dicking around with these champs staying away from each other. f@cking dudes like wilder and fury falling in love and fighting each other 3 times instead of even 1 undisputed fight. then we get a rematch of this one instead of usyk-fury.

been way too f@cking long since everything was on the line at hw

[Ruthless-RKO]

Looking likely for Saudi according to K2

[Ruthless-RKO]

Adam Smith has Sky Sports PPV is the likely home of this.

DAZN won’t be happy.

It will be DAZN everywhere else no doubt.

[jimmystone]

Looking likely for Saudi according to K2

If true Usyk will go way down in my estimations (not that that means fornicate all). I never thought much of Joshua, he's never made any secret of being about the money. The Saudi regime have been busy killing civilians in Sana'a and Hodeida this week. How can you look for sympathy when your own homeland is being bombed and then go to a place like Saudi and help promote their regime when they are doing the same to a third party. It just makes you a hypocrite.

[big lennox]

I'm not sure that Uysk will have much say in where the fight ends up.

[jimmystone]

I'm not sure that Uysk will have much say in where the fight ends up.

Nonsense. If he or Joshua said they were not fighting in Saudi and meant it when they said it, they wouldn't fight in Saudi.

[Counter-puncher]

Looking likely for Saudi according to K2

If true Usyk will go way down in my estimations (not that that means fornicate all). I never thought much of Joshua, he's never made any secret of being about the money. The Saudi regime have been busy killing civilians in Sana'a and Hodeida this week. How can you look for sympathy when your own homeland is being bombed and then go to a place like Saudi and help promote their regime when they are doing the same to a third party. It just makes you a hypocrite.

[Ruthless-RKO]

I'm not sure that Uysk will have much say in where the fight ends up.

Nonsense. If he or Joshua said they were not fighting in Saudi and meant it when they said it, they wouldn't fight in Saudi.

Most of the times, it’s MONEY over EVERYTHING..

Same thing happened when AJ was rematching Ruiz,

Cus there was a possibility that AJ could lose again they wanted to maximise the cash that goes into their pockets.

Same thing now.. could possibly lose.. let major payday? May retire? Lots of questions..

L

[JamesPhilips]

Looking likely for Saudi according to K2

If true Usyk will go way down in my estimations (not that that means fornicate all). I never thought much of Joshua, he's never made any secret of being about the money. The Saudi regime have been busy killing civilians in Sana'a and Hodeida this week. How can you look for sympathy when your own homeland is being bombed and then go to a place like Saudi and help promote their regime when they are doing the same to a third party. It just makes you a hypocrite.

He probably doesn't know about it as the mainstream, media deliberately ignore what's happening in Yemen by the the US funded and backed Saudis....... I

[Ruthless-RKO]

‘Fundamentally wrong’ for Oleksandr Usyk vs Anthony Joshua rematch to take place in Saudi Arabia, insists Simon Jordan – who explains why fight is a ‘terrible situation’ for AJ

Simon Jordan believes it would be ‘fundamentally wrong’ for the Oleksandr Usyk vs Anthony Joshua rematch to take place in Saudi Arabia.

The Middle Eastern nation is now the frontrunner to stage the highly-anticipated heavyweight title fight in late June, having previously also played host to AJ’s second fight with Andy Ruiz Jr in 2019.

As in 2019, this news has not been well received due to Saudi Arabia’s human rights record, with many suggesting the fight would be another example of ‘sportswashing’ from the regime.

“So here we are,” Jordan began, “We have a situation where a fight of this magnitude – it cannot be fought in an environment like the Middle East.

“It just can’t, it’s fundamentally wrong across the board.

“I mean we’ve gotta have the argument about sportswashing as a matter of course, but even more so…

“The fight takes on a completely different narrative.

“Because if it goes to somewhere like Saudi Arabia it’ll then be put through the prism of, ‘What is boxing doing? Why is it sportswashing? Why is it allowing one regime that does similar things to what’s happening over here?'”

Regarding what all this means for AJ, Jordan added: “This is brand diminishing for him.

“If he starts advocating for fights to be placed in certain parts of the world because of the pay cheque, it’s brand diminishing for Anthony Joshua.”

There is also another angle to consider, given the fact Usyk has now left Ukraine amid their invasion by Russia to represent the country on the world stage.

“I do think it’s a very challenging one for Anthony Joshua,” Jordan continued.

“Because not only has he got to fight a man that pretty much took him to school, we’ve now got a man with even more confidence than he went into the first fight with.

“With a nation behind him, with the world behind him because of the circumstances.

“So Joshua is in a terrible situation.

“If he wins, there are gonna be people that are quite sad that a Ukrainian fighter has lost.

“So he’s he’s in this really invidious position.

“But the bottom line is this fight elevates a whole raft of other issues.”

[Ruthless-RKO]

Usyk-Joshua Rematch: Location Still in Talks, Several Offers on Table

Eddie Hearn has insisted that no deal has been agreed to stage the Oleksandr Usyk vs. Anthony Joshua rematch in Saudi Arabia despite reports claiming a $120 million offer had been made by the country.

The fight has been tentatively scheduled for June 25 after Usyk left Ukraine to begin training for the fight. He had previously returned to his homeland and signed up to an army reserve force after Russia's invasion of Ukraine on February 24.

Usyk had claimed the WBA, WBO, IBO and IBF heavyweight titles from Joshua last September at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in North London and it had been expected that the rematch would take place either there or at Wembley Stadium.

But Usyk's promoter Alexander Krassyuk revealed on Sky Sports on Tuesday that Saudi Arabia had made a bid, with other sources claiming that the deal was done.

“This location is under discussion at the moment,” Krassyuk said. “Many things will depend on how fast we manage to ink the papers.

“The good thing is that Usyk is already in Europe to start his preparation.”

But while Hearn insisted that the country had made an offer, several others were on the table.

“Nothing’s been agreed,” Hearn said. “There’s been interest from home, Saudi, other countries in the Middle East and the USA.”

Boxing is hardly new to Saudi Arabia. The biggest event they have staged so far was Joshua's rematch with Andy Ruiz Jr in 2018 in Riyadh, while the World Boxing Super Series final between Callum Smith and George Groves was staged in Jeddah.

Indeed, Usyk had been due to be there in his WBSS cruiserweight final against Murat Gassiev, before Usyk suffered an injury.

That fight eventually took place in Moscow.

Saudi Arabia was also set to be the venue of the undisputed world heavyweight title fight between Joshua and Tyson Fury last year before Fury was ordered by a US judge to have a third fight with Deontay Wilder.

But it remains a controversial location despite huge growth in golf and Formula One, which have led to accusations of sportswashing for a country with an appalling human rights record.

[gregregegg]

‘Fundamentally wrong’ for Oleksandr Usyk vs Anthony Joshua rematch to take place in Saudi Arabia, insists Simon Jordan – who explains why fight is a ‘terrible situation’ for AJ

Simon Jordan believes it would be ‘fundamentally wrong’ for the Oleksandr Usyk vs Anthony Joshua rematch to take place in Saudi Arabia.

The Middle Eastern nation is now the frontrunner to stage the highly-anticipated heavyweight title fight in late June, having previously also played host to AJ’s second fight with Andy Ruiz Jr in 2019.

As in 2019, this news has not been well received due to Saudi Arabia’s human rights record, with many suggesting the fight would be another example of ‘sportswashing’ from the regime.

“So here we are,” Jordan began, “We have a situation where a fight of this magnitude – it cannot be fought in an environment like the Middle East.

“It just can’t, it’s fundamentally wrong across the board.

“I mean we’ve gotta have the argument about sportswashing as a matter of course, but even more so…

“The fight takes on a completely different narrative.

“Because if it goes to somewhere like Saudi Arabia it’ll then be put through the prism of, ‘What is boxing doing? Why is it sportswashing? Why is it allowing one regime that does similar things to what’s happening over here?'”

Regarding what all this means for AJ, Jordan added: “This is brand diminishing for him.

“If he starts advocating for fights to be placed in certain parts of the world because of the pay cheque, it’s brand diminishing for Anthony Joshua.”

There is also another angle to consider, given the fact Usyk has now left Ukraine amid their invasion by Russia to represent the country on the world stage.

“I do think it’s a very challenging one for Anthony Joshua,” Jordan continued.

“Because not only has he got to fight a man that pretty much took him to school, we’ve now got a man with even more confidence than he went into the first fight with.

“With a nation behind him, with the world behind him because of the circumstances.

“So Joshua is in a terrible situation.

“If he wins, there are gonna be people that are quite sad that a Ukrainian fighter has lost.

“So he’s he’s in this really invidious position.

“But the bottom line is this fight elevates a whole raft of other issues.”

Eddie hearn has absolutely made up that 120 million dollar offer then leaked it to one of his press puppets.

If there was actualy a 120million dollar offer hearn would be doing an interview with kugan, Cock out, smoking a cigar, on a yacht talking about how he has a 120million dollar offer on the table.

[garethhop]

I still think that Joshua must end up on DAZN PPV for this fight and that attracting a site fee is the only way to do it. Said it before. DAZN in the UK is washed if it doesn't.

[daz74]

if DAZN don’t get the fight it will be disappointing but nothing more, they’re still a new player in relative terms, over time the brand will continue to grow, at some point they’ll get a Sky Platform channel which will help,
re this fight yes i agree Hearn will want Saudi for the site fee, f_ck jordan he’s a straight up clown