A week is a long time in boxing and if you don’t believe us, then take a look through the news archives from beyond seven days ago.
Just over a week ago, WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury claimed he had signed to fight WBA ‘Super’, WBO and IBF world champion Anthony Joshua in a unification showdown in Saudi Arabia.
Boxing fans all over the world were licking their lips at the thought of the two Brits going head-to-head in the summer, but within days those plans were shelved.
Now both fighters look set to face different opponents, leaving fans dreaming of a winter showdown and we take a look at what is set to happen in the coming months.
Fury-Wilder III booked for July
American Deontay Wilder and his team forced an arbitration hearing which concluded he had the right to fight Fury for the third time.
The pair drew their first bout, while Fury destroyed Wilder in the rematch. He won the WBC title after stopping Wilder in seven rounds in February 2020, but after talks broke down for a third fight, the “Gypsy King” moved on to Joshua.
Fury now claims he has signed his contract to face Wilder for a third time on July 24th and he is adamant he will have his hand raised yet again.
When attending Josh Taylor’s win over Jose Ramirez in Las Vegas on Saturday, Fury told reporters: “He’s getting seriously smashed to bits.
“I’ll give him another shoulder injury, another biceps injury, another leg injury. One round, you’re going. I have got your soul, your mojo, everything. I own you.”
Fury is 3/10 to win their third bout, while Wilder is 23/10 to claim the victory and put himself back into the unification frame.
Mandatory Defence Now on Joshua’s Mind
Joshua will also have to change his plans after the WBO ordered him to face mandatory challenger Oleksandr Usyk after the collapse of his bout with Fury.
Joshua’s team and Usyk’s representatives have until May 31st to reach an agreement for the bout; otherwise, purse bids will be called.
Joshua has won his last two fights since suffering a first-career defeat to Andy Ruiz in New York.
The 31-year-old beat Ruiz on points back in 2019, before stopping Kubrat Pulev at Wembley Arena at the end of 2020.
Joshua and his team will still be aiming to fight in August, but Usyk will pose a much different threat. While he is slick like Fury, he is yet to prove himself as a heavyweight after moving up from cruiserweight.
The former unified cruiserweight world champion is unbeaten as a professional, with the Ukrainian winning 13 of his 18 fights inside the distance.
He has beaten Chazz Witherspoon and Derek Chisora so far at his new weight, but he would need a career-best performance to beat Joshua.
The 34-year-old is 2/1 to overcome the hard-hitting Brit, while Joshua is priced at 20/57 to record another victory.
*All odds correct at time of writing
