Saudi promoter Amer Abdallah from Saudi’s Skill Challenge Entertainment has disclosed ongoing negotiations for two spectacular bouts on the same night in December 2023: Anthony Joshua (25-3, 22 KOs) versus Deontay Wilder (43-2-1, 42 KOs), and Tyson Fury (33-0-1, 24 KOs) facing Oleksandr Usyk (20-0, 13 KOs). Abdallah emphasizes that these clashes are not part of a tournament, but rather two remarkable fights occurring on one extraordinary evening.
While negotiations for the Joshua-Wilder and Fury-Usyk fights are still in progress, Abdallah assures that a press release will be issued once the talks have concluded and the matchups are ready to be announced. Joshua is permitted to engage in a tune-up fight before the December event, but he must emerge victorious for the scheduled bout to proceed. Abdallah insists that a loss would render Joshua’s participation in the December fight uninteresting.
Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, has expressed interest in a warm-up fight for his client in July. However, if Joshua were to face the formidable 35-year-old veteran Dillian Whyte and suffer a loss, he would forfeit his chance to fight Wilder in Saudi Arabia in December. This places immense pressure on Joshua to secure a win in any tune-up bout he takes on.
Amer Abdallah from Saudi’s Skill Challenge Entertainment further explained that the planned heavyweight showdowns involving Tyson Fury, Oleksandr Usyk, Anthony Joshua, and Deontay Wilder will not follow a tournament format. The focus is on providing high-stakes, thrilling encounters for boxing fans to enjoy.
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