12 February 2024 , 15:15
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Anthony Joshua will be ready to fight for the undisputed heavyweight world titles if Tyson Fury or Oleksandr Usyk pull out of their rescheduled fight.
Heavyweight champions Fury and Usyk were scheduled to fight for the undisputed belts this Saturday but Fury was forced out of the fight after being cut above his right eye 10 days. The fight has since been rescheduled for May 18 and Saudi royal advisor Turki AlAlshikh has promised to fine Fury or Usyk £10million of their own money if they can't make the new date.
Joshua looks to secure himself an undisputed fight by beating former UFC champion Francis Ngannou next month. Matchroom Boxing boss Eddie Hearn has admitted 'AJ' will likely need to beat Ngannou and Filip Hrgovic for a shot at undisputed but insists the Brit is ready to fight for all four belts right now.
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"We'll be ready. The amazing thing with Anthony is he will be boxing four times in 11 months, which has been brilliant for him. It's so refreshing for his career after so many periods of inactivity through Covid and dealing with big stadium fights and mandatory obligations and people messing around," Hearn told talkSPORT.
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"He will need a rest at some point, but if he comes through Ngannou well and that opportunity presented itself, I would think he'd be ready to fight Fury or Usyk." A two-way rematch clause in Fury and Usyk's fight means Joshua is unlikely to get an undisputed shot until next year.
Hearn wouldn't be surprised if AlAlshikh scraps plans of Fury and Usyk's second fight if the Brit wins, telling iFL TV: "When the biggest fight in the history of the sport is in front of you to make I'm sure as hell find a way to keep everybody happy and make that fight but it's irrelevant right now.
“The timing worked perfectly for AJ to stop Ngannou and for Fury to win. We appreciate there’s this fight and this rematch, but you know how things are going to go. Come on, you know how His Excellency moves. We need that fight to happen and now that fight is happening two months after our fight. So it sounds more likely that if AJ if triumphant will fight Filip Hrgovic for a world title."