RUMOR MILL: AJ vs Wilder And Usyk vs Fury Planned For End Of Year

December 2023 Rumored to Be Huge for Heavyweight Boxing!

Oleksandr Usyk vs Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua vs Deontay Wilder rumored for December 2023
(clockwise from top left) Tyson Fury, Oleksandr Usyk, Deontay Wilder, Anthony Joshua | credit: AP Photo/Ian Walton, Steve Marcus/Getty Images, Reuters

Anthony Joshua vs Deontay Wilder & Oleksandr Usyk vs Tyson Fury In December?


December 2023 could be a monster month in boxing for the heavyweight division. Preliminary discussions are underway for two fights in the Middle East for that month. One fight would be between two-time unified champion Anthony Joshua (25-3, 22 KOs) and former WBC champion Deontay Wilder (43-2-1, 42 KOs). The other proposed fight for the Middle East in December of this year is the undisputed heavyweight championship clash between unified champion Oleksandr Uysk (20-0, 13 KOs) and WBC champion Tyson Fury (33-0-1, 24 KOs).

According to the British news source TalkSport, there’s a legit chance that both of those fights will happen. A key factor is whether Usyk wins in an anticipated summer title defense against WBA Regular heavyweight champion Daniel Dubois.

CONNECT THE DOTS

While this is early in the talking stages, the timeline of the Big Four of the division facing off in December falls in place. After previously stating that he planned to fight three times in 2023, Joshua posted on social media that he’s not returning to the ring until December of this year. Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, is on record saying that he wants to see Joshua and Wilder fight one another this year. Wilder’s manager, Shelly Finkel, says Wilder is equally interested in facing Joshua.

Then there’s the saga that is Usyk and Fury. After failing to agree to a deal to fight one another on April 29, Usyk promoter Alex Krassyuk said he’s optimistic that Usyk vs Fury could happen at the end of the year.

If they were to fight, it would be huge for the sport. The Middle East has become a hotbed for boxing. That region of the world has been willing to throw serious money to stage boxing events over the years. The financial backing is there for two fights of that magnitude. Nothing has been finalized, but it’s something worth keeping an eye on. Stay tuned to 3kingsboxing.com for any further updates.

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About Mike W.2118 Articles
Mike is the host of boxing podcast "Pound 4 Pound Boxing Report" and is a Senior Writer for 3kingsboxing.com.