Boxxer CEO Ben Shalom is confident that Anthony Joshua’s next fight will be on Sky Sports Box Office.
Shalom is promoting his own pay-per-view event for the first time this weekend in the shape of Amir Khan v Kell Brook. The Boxxer outfit and Sky Sports teamed up together to produce the channel’s boxing coverage going forward after Eddie Hearn left to join DAZN in June last year.
Sky has been the home for every one of Joshua’s pro fights and the former heavyweight champion, promoted by Hearn, is expected to rematch Oleksandr Usyk in the next few months. The Ukrainian defeated ‘AJ’ last September to take home the WBA, IBF and WBO titles. There had been speculation that their second fight may land on DAZN pay-per-view, but it now looks like the 2012 Olympic Gold medallist will remain where he is.
“Anthony Joshua, we expect to stay on Sky,” Shalom told Boxing Social’s Andi Purewal after yesterday’s heated Khan-Brook press conference.
And when asked about an official announcement, he said: “I’m hearing it’s going to be soon.”
“I think it’s going to be Usyk and they’re just deciding on where it goes. Eddie will have his ideas, and Anthony’s team and [manager] Freddie [Cunningham] and then Usyk’s team. Anthony’s always been with Sky, I expect him to stay with Sky. I think everyone does.
“I’m new to it so I’m starting to see the scale of Sky from the inside for the very first time and it’s an amazing thing. And what they can do in British boxing, and they’re input in British boxing needs to stay. It’s so healthy for the sport and Anthony recognises that and I’m sure he’ll be back on Box Office very, very soon.”
Click here to watch Shalom’s full interview with Boxing Social.