The rematch between heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk and former champion and challenger Anthony Joshua, has been put on hold due to Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
Usyk, a Ukrainian national, has enlisted in a territorial defence brigade and when asked about the rematch said: “I really don’t know when I’m going to be stepping back in the ring. My country and my honour are more important to me than a championship belt.”
As newsmen reported last September, Usyk won a majority decision over Joshua to become the unified heavyweight champion. Joshua’s rematch clause was activated, and the two were scheduled to fight in May or June.
However, with Usyk joining Ukraine’s defence, it is unclear when the two will fight again. Prior to his enlistment, the heavyweight champion had revealed his reluctance to becoming part of the war saying: “I don’t want to shoot. I don’t want to kill anybody, but if they will be killing me, I will have no choice.”
Matchroom Boxing’s Eddie Hearn, who is promoting the Joshua rematch, said of the circumstances: “It’s a very unique, personal, emotional situation and I don’t think we can really fathom what’s going on there and what’s going through the minds of people involved there.
“So for us, of course, utmost respect for Oleksandr Usyk. We don’t want the obligation of a rematch to go away. So, we’ll wait as long as Oleksandr Usyk needs during this difficult time for him.”
The 35-year-old Usyk has a lifetime record of 19 victories with 13 knockouts while Joshua, who is 32, has a record of 24 wins and two losses, with 22 knockout victories.
Prior to the Usyk fight in January, Joshua was offered an interim fight to keep him in shape for the rematch. Joshua was to face either Joe Joyce or Daniel Dubois, according to promoter Frank Warren.
Warren put these choices before Joshua to get him mentally and physically ready: “If he wants to fight before hand, fight Joe Joyce or Daniel Dubois. They are very, very good fights.”
Hearn is beginning to consider these options as he indicated that if there is an extended delay, Joshua may fight an interim match immediately, especially after Usyk joined Ukraine’s defence with no end in sight of the invasion.
Joshua’s only fight since December 2020, when he knocked out Kubrat Pulev in the ninth round to retain the WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, and IBO heavyweight championships, was against Usyk.
