Oleksandr Usyk v Anthony Joshua Rematch Delayed into August
Well it seems that two-time heavyweight champion Anthony “AJ” Joshua (24-2, 22 KO’s) will have to wait a bit longer for a chance to reclaim his titles. Back on September 25, 2021, Joshua suffered the second loss of his professional career to WBA Super, IBF and WBO heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk (19-0, 13 KO’s).
Naturally, AJ was very adamant about trying to reclaim his hardware from the former undisputed cruiserweight champion. This was the same case when he lost to Andy Ruiz back in 2019. With Ruiz however, AJ was able to get an immediate rematch and resumed being the most belt-carrying champion in the division in short order. Joshua and Usyk were scheduled to collide on July 23 in Saudi Arabia but this date has now been pushed back to mid-August according to Daily Mail.
GIVE IT TIME
The delay in production seems to stem from an issue over televising rights. In this scenario Joshua has television deals with both Sky in the UK and DAZN for international broadcasts. Apparently, these crossing lines have given rise to significant financial concerns. The good news however is that this complication is far from the end of the show. The problem should be worked out in due time, yet it is estimated that it will take about two to three weeks to do so.
The additional time will be somewhat advantageous to both AJ and the event itself. This is because Joshua will be able to use the grace period to help gel with his new trainer Robert Garcia a little bit more. It will also allot more time to construct a purpose-built stadium in Saudi Arabia which will have to be specially formatted with air conditioning to contend with the extreme heat of the region.
In terms of curveballs that the boxing game throws at the fighters and public, this is not a dire one. At the same time, let’s hope that everything wraps up in a timely fashion and the rematch can take place minus any more hiccups. Yet, only time will tell!
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By: Bakari Simpson
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