Top Rank CEO, Bob Arum believes Anthony Joshua should avoid a rematch with Oleksandr Usyk.
Usyk beat Joshua convincingly on points on Saturday night to become WBA ‘super’, IBF, WBO and IBO heavyweight world champion in London.
Joshua does have a rematch clause which he confirmed in his post-fight press conference he intended to exercise and his promoter, Eddie Hearn said it could take place in February or March.
Arum, who is WBC heavyweight champion, Tyson Fury’s co-promoter thinks that if his charge is successful in his trilogy clash with Deontay Wilder on October 9, he should proceed to an undisputed title fight against Usyk, with Joshua taking some fights in between before facing the victor.
“No I don’t,” Arum said to IFLTV when asked if he believed Joshua could win a rematch.
“Joshua would be well off if somehow he was able to take another couple of fights before the rematch with Usyk.
“And if people were sensible, Joshua would work out an agreement.
“If Tyson Fury is successful with Wilder, to allow Usyk to fight Tyson Fury and to have each fighter contractually agree in his next fight, whether it’s Usyk or Tyson Fury to fight the winner.
“That’s sensible, but again this is boxing and promoters with egos and fighters not making in my opinion the correct decision, but really making fights based on emotion.
“All eyes are going to be on Tyson Fury and Wilder.
“The winner of that fight will be accepted as the legitimate heavyweight champion, particularly should Joshua go right into an Usyk rematch which I think is the wrong move for him.”
Joshua appeared on the brink of securing an August 14 meeting with Fury in Saudi Arabia prior to an arbitrator ruling for the ‘Gypsy King’ to face Wilder for a third time, with the Watford man then ordered to face the Ukrainian by the WBO, who had originally cooled their position for the Brit to make a mandatory defence.
Usyk’s victory has ended any immediate chance of a huge all-British showdown between Joshua and Fury, but Arum believes it remains a big fight in the future.
“[Joshua does] not [have] as much value as he brought before,” Arum added.
“But, because they’re two Brits and everybody has been talking about it particularly in the UK, Joshua against Fury should Fury beat Wilder and then beat Usyk would still be a huge, huge fight.”
