Home Boxing News Anthony Joshua considering £15million step-aside fee to allow Tyson Fury vs Oleksander...

Anthony Joshua considering £15million step-aside fee to allow Tyson Fury vs Oleksander Usyk to happen

Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua. Photo credit: The Mirror

Anthony Joshua 24-2 (22) is reportedly close to accepting a £15million step-aside fee to allow WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury 31-0-1 (22) to attempt to unify with WBA, WBO and IBF champion Oleksandr Usyk 19-0 (13).

The 32-year-old former unified champion was expected to move directly into a rematch with Ukranian southpaw conqueror Usyk, 35, with the 33-year-old Fury ordered to make a mandatory title defence against fellow Englishman Dillian Whyte 28-2 (19).

Those negotiations were extended until Wednesday with Whyte rumoured to be asking for a £5million payday to allow the four-belt unification bout to take place.

The proposed bout between Fury and Usyk is expected to take place in either the Middle East or at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium.

Fury is co-promoted by Frank Warren and Bob Arum. Both Joshua and Whyte are represented by Eddie Hearn.

“It’s a saga but if we can keep things between us, we can get something over the line one way or another,” Warren said.

“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.”

Hearn told Boxing Social everything was still up in the air.

“We are all still moving toward Joshua vs Usyk and Fury vs Whyte but there are still people who would like to see Fury vs Usyk for the undisputed and would be willing to pay a lot of money for it,” Hearn said.

“If there is a lot of money in the pot and there can be a plan put in place to make all the fighters happy then there is a chance it can happen, but the problem is time.

“Talks were ongoing for Fury to fight Usyk and AJ to fight the winner but then Dillian Whyte got called as mandatory and had to come into the talks, which made it a lot harder and everyone gave up.

“The plan now is AJ vs Usyk and Fury vs Whyte but those other talks do still rumble on, if I had to bet on the next fights that take place, it would be the two scheduled fights taking place.

“But there is a strong desire to find a way to have an undisputed fight with AJ fighting the winner – and without Dillian I think this would have happened.”

Meanwhile, undefeated rising welterweight contender Conor Benn 20-0 (13) backed in Joshua to step aside for the eye-watering pay cheque.

“I’m going to wear my heart on my sleeve and say what needs to be said. If anyone offered £15million, and I’ve got a big smile on my face, to step aside and fight the winner I’m telling you now I will take that £15m,” Benn told talkSPORT.

“No one can point the finger at all. I don’t care who you are, you’re not in that position.

“Some people spend £20 a day on lottery tickets they are likely not going to win.

“When you’ve got £15m presented to you and you still get to fight the winner, by the way guys, who is the better man for winning, so you are still going into be a hard fight.”

Benn added: “Of course it does, it makes the world of sense. We love fighting, but do you think we are risking our lives for nothing? No.”