Oleksandr Usyk has not yet decided whether he will be in Anthony Joshua’s corner later this year, when the Briton boxes compatriot Tyson Fury.
Joshua, 36, and Fury, 37, are contracted to fight each other later this year, and although the date of that long-awaited contest is unknown, an October or November clash at Wembley Stadium seems possible.
First, however, Joshua will face Kristian Prenga in a warm-up fight in Saudi Arabia on 25 July, while Fury is targeting an August return – ideally in Dublin, it appears.
Before Joshua vs Fury and “AJ”’s bout with Fury were confirmed, Joshua trained with Usyk in the latter’s native Ukraine, several years after they last shared the ring.
Usyk, 39, outpointed Joshua in 2021 and 2022, before doing the same against Fury twice in 2024. But the unbeaten southpaw’s rivalry with Joshua is a thing of the past, with the pair developing a friendship through their training. Joshua was even ringside at the pyramids of Giza on Saturday, as Usyk scored a controversial stoppage of kickboxer Rico Verhoeven.
Now, Usyk’s sporting director Sergey Lapin has told Betpack: “It’s still too early to say for sure whether Oleksandr will be in AJ’s corner against Fury. We will look at the situation closer to the fight.
“As for Fury and his weaknesses, they constantly talk about boxing, different styles, different fights, and different situations. For people at this level, that is completely normal.”
Usyk has backed Joshua to become a world heavyweight champion again in the future, although his fight with Fury will not be for a title, and Lapin has also discussed those claims.
“Everything depends on AJ himself, said Lapin. “He has absolutely everything needed to become heavyweight champion again. He already has the experience, physical attributes, name and discipline.
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“At this level, the key is mentality and motivation. Oleksandr is always open to sharing his experience, and that is extremely valuable for many fighters.”
Joshua’s decision to train with Usyk in Ukraine followed a car accident in December, in which AJ was injured and two of his teammates were killed. The crash took place in Nigeria and claimed the lives of Sina Ghami and Latif “Latz” Ayodele. It also took place 10 days after Joshua stopped YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul in Miami, in a fight that went six rounds.
With that result, Joshua bounced back from a knockout by Daniel Dubois in their 2024 title bout, which occurred between Fury’s two title-fight losses to Usyk.
Usyk’s fight with Verhoeven last week proved highly controversial, as the Ukrainian appeared to be down on the scorecards when the referee stopped the bout after the bell in round 11, awarding Usyk a TKO win.
