High stakes Usyk-Joshua rematch set to be delayed

The blockbuster rematch between Oleksandr Usyk and Anthony Joshua might need to attend a bit of bit longer amid stories that the struggle has been pushed again to mid-August amid bickering between numerous tv broadcasters. 

The 2 had been closely linked to a struggle on July 23 in Saudi Arabia in what could be a rematch of their first assembly final September which was received by the undefeated Ukrainian, who upset the percentages towards the vastly in style Brit by outboxing Joshua for almost all of the 12-round contest in London. 

UK broadcaster Sky Sports activities has an present cope with Joshua to broadcast his fights, whereas Eddie Hearn’s contract with DAZN implies that they’ll have the worldwide rights to point out the struggle – however squabbles between the 2 networks as to the specifics of their respective offers is more likely to result in a delay, stories the Telegraph. 

The struggle nonetheless seems sure to happen in Saudi Arabia, the scene of Joshua’s profitable revenge towards Andy Ruiz after the unheralded Mexican-American shockingly dethroned Joshua in 2019 – maybe a great omen forward of Joshua’s job of doing the identical to the excellent Usyk. 

The delay, as transient because it could be, might show to be a blessing in disguise for Joshua as it’ll afford him extra time to work alongside coach Robert Garcia who has been drafted into the camp in a bid to unravel the Usyk puzzle which flummoxed him within the ring in London final yr.

It can additionally give Saudi authorities extra preparation time amid recommendations that they’re growing a function constructed area for the struggle, full with full air con to assist fight the 40 levels celsius temperatures that are anticipated. 

“If you query about will there be a delay? If there’s, you are speaking about two weeks and it is for no different cause than time and ensuring we will promote the struggle in the proper manner,” stated Hearn to iFL TV. 

“The struggle is going on, the struggle is agreed by way of the place it’ll happen and each side have agreed, each side have agreed the deal, and each side have agreed the whole lot.

“It is simply most likely taken 10 days longer than we wished it to and with out placing a date all I can inform you is we’re finalizing the ultimate bits of paperwork, and the whole lot is agreed. So, standby.”

There has already been a major delay in asserting plans for the struggle given the truth that Usyk took up arms in his native Ukraine to struggle Russian forces in the course of the ongoing battle.

Nevertheless, he left the frontlines in March to start coaching in Poland for the rematch and can hope to increase his spotless profession document when the 2 top-ranked sluggers lastly step again into the ring with each other in a couple of months’ time. 

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