Anthony Joshua has spoken out about the stalling in talks for a fight between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk, and admits he has a degree of sympathy for the man who prized three world titles from his grasp.
Talks for an undisputed clash between the pair had initially seemed to be progressing well, however news broke yesterday that Fury had failed to agree a fee with representatives from Saudi Arabia who were keen to stage the event.
And Joshua told Ade Oladipo on the DAZN Boxing Show that he felt for Usyk, who had agreed his own individual deal weeks ago.
“Look at the situation with the undisputed fight. I feel sorry for Usyk because he seems to be ready to get cracking. But that’s the business we’re in when you get to these title fights.”
“I know it’s probably gonna happen soon, but it’s nice to have dates set. So you can work towards.”
Talks are now said to be underway for Wembley Stadium to host the fight on April 29th, but it is thought this will require a host of new negotiations.
There are growing concerns that it may be difficult to satisfy the financial demands of both fighters, especially given that the lucrative site fee on offer from the Saudis is no longer in play.
Boxing fans across the globe will live in hope that these recent hurdles can be overcome, particularly after talks for a mega fight between Fury and Joshua broke down late last year.
If it it does eventually get made, Fury vs Usyk would be the first undisputed heavyweight world title fight in over two decades, since Lennox Lewis defeated Evander Holyfield all the way back in 1999.
‘The Gypsy King’ is expected to fight at Wembley in April regardless if it is against the Ukrainian or not, with Joe Joyce and Francis Ngannou believed to be waiting in the wings for a shot at the lineal champion.