The Sunday Mail
ANTHONY JOSHUA’s team are in talks over a potential step-aside deal to allow Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk to battle it out for heavyweight supremacy, the Gypsy King’s promoter Frank Warren has revealed.
Joshua was outclassed by the masterful Usyk back in September, losing his unified titles via unanimous decision at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Yet in recent weeks talk has surfaced of him stepping aside and allowing Usyk to challenge Fury, who retained his WBC strap by knocking out Deontay Wilder in October, for the undisputed crown next.
Joshua hinted as much in a recent interview with iFL TV, saying: “That step aside thing, it may not go with what I stand for in terms of bringing me respect, fighting the best, but it may make sense for business.”
And now Warren, Fury’s UK-based promoter, has claimed to be in discussions with team AJ about a step-aside deal.
“Everybody wants to see him (Fury) and Usyk. That is what we want to see,” the Queensberry chief told iFL TV.
“AJ, I see his interview last week, which was a little bit confusing. If you listen to what he’s saying, he’s basically saying “if I get the right money I will step aside”.
“So that is really where we have got to get to as a team, the Tyson Fury team. We are all working hard to make that happen and it just may happen.
“And if it does, then Tyson will meet him (Usyk) and the four belts will be on the line. And I hope that’s gonna be the case.”
Warren is confident an agreement can be reached with Joshua and co.
“If it doesn’t for any reason, then we have got to move to Plan B, and Plan B will be to fight here in the UK in March against an opponent that Tyson feels comfortable with.”
He added: “Obviously there is conversations (about Joshua stepping aside).
“But that will have a limit of time where suddenly it’s either gonna happen or it’s not. I don’t think everybody’s gonna be waiting around for that.
“But I am quite positive and feel positive that there is between everybody a will to get it done.” — dailymail.co.uk
