Anthony Joshua will fightOleksandr Usyk on September 18 or September 25 in London.- That's according to Joshua's promoter Eddie Hearn, who said there are "no issues with that fight."
- Hearn expects one million pay-per-view buys for a fight that will be held in a big soccer stadium.
LONDON - Two September dates and two big soccer stadiums in England are being targeted for world heavyweight boxing champion Anthony Joshua's next title defense.
That's according to Matchroom Sport chairman Eddie Hearn, who represents Joshua, and is looking to book the fighter's next bout in the coming months.
"September 25th and 18th are the two dates," Hearn confirmed at a media event Insider attended Monday.
He described Wembley Stadium, which can hold 90,000 fans for a
The fight would bring together two gold medal-winning Olympic boxers, with Usyk set to contest his third heavyweight fight after unifying all of the major cruiserweight championships.
Hearn said he doesn't envision any problems because he's got a great relationship with Usyk, and Alexander Krassyuk, who is the head of Usyk's promoter, K2 Promotions.
"We've sent a contract to K2 and they've just replied to it with a couple of minor questions," Hearn said, expecting a formal announcement in the coming weeks as there are "no issues with that fight."
Hearn continued: "That's the one you're going to see next. I think AJ's got it in his head that he wants to do a job on him. He knows how good Usyk is, and he knows people have been saying, 'You sure you want to take that fight?' And I think he likes that."
Joshua has been preparing for the bout at a Sheffield base, where Britain's Olympic boxers practice their trade. He's been engaging in sparring sessions against southpaw fighters, as Usyk boxes in that leftie stance.
The bout will be broadcast on Sky Box Office and Hearn anticipates "one million buys on pay-per-view."