Oleksandr Usyk made his intentions crystal clear (Image: YouTube/Sky Sports News)
Oleksandr Usyk summed up his approach to boxing when expressing his desire to fight Anthony Joshua over Andy Ruiz Jr in 2019. The new undisputed heavyweight champion had just vacated his cruiserweight titles to move up a division.
He was laser-focused on his long-term goal in the sport, as evidence by his mindset of "to be the best, one must beat the best". At that time, Usyk was the mandatory challenger to either Joshua or Ruiz, who were set to fight for the unified heavyweight championship in a rematch in Saudi Arabia.
In a surprising turn of events, Joshua, considered one of the most formidable heavyweights, was defeated by the underdog Ruiz in a unfortgetable bout at Madison Square Garden in the summer of 2019. However, Joshua avenged his loss by defeating Ruiz via a unanimous decision in their rematch in Saudi Arabia.
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Before this victory, Usyk had been asked to choose between Joshua and Ruiz. Despite being smaller in weight, height, and reach, the Ukrainian chose the former , viewing him as a greater challenge. W
ith AJ's promoter, Eddie Hearn, recently suggesting a trilogy with Usyk, it appears the undisputed champion would welcome another opportunity to face Joshua. "Anthony Joshua at Wembley. I think it would be much harder for me to fight Joshua," he told Sky Sports five years ago, via the Mirror.
"I was asked the question, 'Who would I like to fight? 'Of course, I named the three best heavyweights today in the division. If you want to be the best, you have to fight the best.
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Usyk explained his preference to fight Joshua instead of Ruiz (Image: Getty Images)
"These guys today are the best ones and I wanted to fight the best one. If I am going to be fighting the regular guys, I'm going to be with the regular guys in the line, I want to be on top of it."
Post-defeat to Joshua, Ruiz has notched up victories against Chris Arreola and Luis Ortiz, both by unanimous decision, and is slated to go toe-to-toe with Jarrell Miller in Los Angeles come August 3rd. The Mexican-American has himself voiced an eagerness to clash with Usyk, saying he would "love" the matchup.
But Usyk's sights are set on a rematch with Tyson Fury following his triumph over the Gypsy King via a split decision on May 18, with Saudi Arabia tipped as the venue for their October showdown. In a twist of fate, Usyk may enter the ring for the unified heavyweight championship instead of the undisputed title, as he faces the possibility of being stripped of the vacant IBF championship.
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Usyk went on to dethrone AJ in convincing fashion (Image: AFP via Getty Images)
Filip Hrgovic, who has been the mandatory IBF challenger for nearly two years, may find his upcoming fight against Daniel Dubois being for the title. This comes as Usyk's team have requested an exception to allow him to retain his undisputed status ahead of his rematch with Fury.
In other news, Eddie Hearn has revealed that Joshua would be open to fighting either Fury or Usyk in a trilogy bout this year if their rematch cannot be arranged. While the pair are believed to be preparing for their own rematch in October, the Matchroom boss expressed doubts about the feasibility of the schedule.
Speaking on Matchroom's YouTube channel, he said: "I don't think Tyson Fury is gonna be over the moon with five or six weeks off, but that's the obligation, there's a lot of money. Who knows? If Usyk's injured, can't make the date, do you make Fury against Joshua with the winner fighting Usyk? I mean the answer for me is, 'Yes, please.'"
However, he added that the final decision lies with His Excellency Turki Al-Sheikh and the fighters themselves. He noted: "But it's down to His Excellency [Turki Al-Sheikh] and the fighters to make the decisions. They have a contracted rematch, but they have to be physically able to make that date, and I guess that's the next obstacle to overcome."
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