Multiple Reports- Anthony Joshua On Verge Of Step Aside

With a crazy, dramatic weekend of NFL playoffs ending Sunday night in the U.S., one of the biggest sports stories was developing Sunday night in the U.K. This, as multiple reports say that former Unified Heavyweight Champ Anthony Joshua is on the verge of accepting a huge “step aside” fee to allow new champ Oleksandr Usyk to fight WBC Heavyweight titleholder Tyson Fury in an Undisputed showdown later this year.

First, the London Telegraph (known often for exaggeration) reported Sunday night in Britain, that Joshua has agreed to accept 15 million English pounds ($20.4 mil U.S.) to let Usyk out of the rematch for his September decision win in their fight.

Anthony Joshua to accept £15m fee and step aside for Tyson Fury-Oleksander Usyk fight. @GarethADaviesdt reports.https://t.co/37NPyoC09G

— Telegraph Sport (@TelegraphSport) January 23, 2022

That report was backed up by a Sunday report in the competing paper, the London Sun, which quoted Fury’s co-promoter Frank Warren of Queensberry Promotions as saying that he believes a deal will be struck early this coming week for Usyk-Fury to be able to happen.

“We are still working on things but I believe over the weekend we will make some progress and then have something to announce,” Warren told the Sun.

“Everybody in boxing wants to see the undisputed fight between Tyson and Usyk, I want to see it just as a fan. So that is the fight we are trying to make.” 

Fury won his trilogy fight with Deontay Wilder by third round KO in October and would clearly command a huge pay day for both fighters for an Undisputed shot at Usyk.

And, Warren’s comments Sunday echo what we wrote late last week from Fury’s other co-promoter in the U.S., Bob Arum of Top Rank Boxing, who believes that the conversations will pick up and lead to Usyk-Fury. Arum said,

“What’s happening is just promises coming out of the Middle East about doing a unified fight with Usyk and Fury, and is Dillian Whyte gonna step aside?

“And people that have absolutely no contractual ties – like Frank Warren’s Queensberry and our Top Rank do – are getting involved.“It’s a typical terrible kind of situation, but hopefully it’ll get sorted out…”

Yes, yet another variable is that Fury is supposed to give Whyte a title shot next. However, he’s suing the WBC about the purse split and his #1 contender status.

So, it’s possible that Fury might just fight Usyk without his title and force the WBC’s hand on whether they would strip him of the belt outside the ring.

Obviously, Whyte could also accept a much smaller “step aside” fee to await what happens in the triangle of Uysk-Fury-Joshua.

However, that’s not likely.

So, now we wait to see if all of the reporting on what “might happen” for the Undisputed title and what will actually come through?