Tyson Fury has officially activated his rematch clause to face Oleksandr Usyk – and will also fight Anthony Joshua.
That is the word from Fury’s United States promoter Bob Arum, who spoke to talkSPORT on Friday night to deliver the bombshell news.
Fury was beaten by Usyk in Saudi Arabia last Saturday to end his unbeaten streak and lose his WBC heavyweight title.
It also saw the Ukrainian fighter become the first undisputed heavyweight boxer in the four-belt era, beating Fury by split decision after coming close to stopping the fight in the ninth round.
But the Gypsy King is desperate to fight for his belts as soon as possible and his promoter Arum has announced when a rematch is likely to go ahead.
Top Rank CEO Arum said: “There’s a rematch clause and Tyson has exercised the rematch clause and that fight will take place either at the end of the year or the beginning of next year.
“It will take place, again, in Riyadh. That is the contract that both fighters have signed.
“It was such a great fight and it was such a controversial fight. A lot of people thought Tyson pulled it out, some people felt that Usyk deserved the win he got.
“Let’s see what happens in the rematch. I think there will be a lot of interest and, win or lose, I would love to see Tyson who I believe will win the rematch.”
It would be unclear whether Fury could battle Usyk for all four belts, though, with the IBF title set to become vacant.
Fury’s rematch against Usyk will certainly get tongues wagging at the prospect of another brilliant bout but the 37-year-old is not the only fighter that people want to see the Gypsy King face.
A long-awaited British battle with Joshua has long been in the pipeline but an agreement between Fury’s promoter Frank Warren and AJ’s promoter Eddie Hearn has never been reached.
But Arum has insisted that the two will finally touch gloves by next summer – at the latest.
After being asked whether Fury and Joshua will ever meet, Arum added: “Next year, win or lose, whatever happens, that fight is something that has to happen because there is so much talk about it in the UK.
“I would be very, very surprised if that fight didn’t happen at Wembley by the mid-2025.”
Joshua has not fought since his electric knockout clash against Francis Ngannou in March, though there is speculation he could face Deontay Wilder.
AJ and Fury have long been at each other’s throats but have never met in the ring but Arum’s latest announcement could finally see the long-awaited bout come to fruition.
Olivia Martin is a dedicated sports journalist based in the UK. With a passion for various athletic disciplines, she covers everything from major league championships to local sports events, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis.
