The co-promoter of unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk 19-0 (13) believes that it would be mad for Anthony Joshua 24-2 (22) to turn away step-aside money to allow his charge to face WBC champion Tyson Fury 31-0 (22).
But Alexander Krassyuk admits there are still a lot of moving parts in determining who the undefeated Ukrainian southpaw faces next.
Usyk, 35, lifted the WBA, WBO and IBF heavyweight titles from Joshua via unanimous decision last September. The 32-year-old Joshua was expected to go into an immediate rematch with Usyk, but it has been reported this week that he has been offered £15million to allow the four-belt unification bout to take place first.
If that scenario plays out, Joshua would be expecting first shot at the reigning champion. But the WBC has already ordered Fury to face longtime mandatory contender Dillian Whyte 28-2 (19) next.
It has been rumoured that Whyte, 34, has been offered £5million to step aside and allow the Fury-Usyk bout to happen. But he too will be wanting first shot at the winner.
“I don’t know the money AJ was offered,” Krassyuk told Boxing Social. “I don’t know if he agreed to it. Or if he accepted it. According to Telegraph UK, he said he did. Which I think would be a reasonable step, but let’s think about it theoretically. What options [does Joshua] have?
“Let’s say [Joshua] fights Usyk next. Would he earn more? Maybe? I don’t know. Maybe something around that. Will it be a risky fight for him? Definitely, yes. If he loses to Usyk a second time, many question marks for his future. Here, if he gets this money and he gets the guarantee of fighting the winner of Fury-Usyk, then he gets his money and he gets the chance to fight for the undisputed. It’s a big benefit for him.
“So if I was AJ I would probably consider this offer very seriously.
“From a business side, why not? It doesn’t show that he’s scared of anyone. Just he gives a chance for the undisputed fight in heavyweight to take place. Stepping aside for money he [could] take, I don’t know, a tune-up fight in between and he fights the winner, which is the best [scenario] for him.”
Krassyuk co-promotes Usyk with Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Boxing, who also promotes both Joshua and Whyte.
“We discussed the possibility, if the money is right and there is a guarantee that the winner fights AJ next, if everyone is happy, then there are no big obstacles,” Krassyuk said.
“There’s one more man playing a role in this movie and it’s Dillian Whyte being the mandatory for Fury and he is also has to be satisfied with the conditions. I think according to my experience it’s kind of complicated scheme to get real. Still, there is a chance that all the parties agree and that we see the undisputed heavyweight championship.
“It’s still just words. We think about this, we suppose it [could] happen, but we have no guarantee that this will take place. Unless there is no certainty about it, our basic option remains the same: the second fight between AJ and Usyk, the rematch.”
