ANTHONY JOSHUA's eagerly awaited rematch with Oleksandr Usyk is now in the calendar after months of speculation.
Joshua and his Ukrainian counterpart were due to fight in battle in May. But Vladimir Putin's invasion put an end to that.
In his first fight with Oleksandr Uzyk, Anthony Joshua was outboxed
The 35-year-old Usyk returned home to help in the fight against Russia.
After receiving permission from the Ukrainian sports minister, he has returned to his training camp.
In front of 70,000 Tottenham Hotspur Stadium fans, Usyk outclassed Joshua and won the WBA, WBO, IBF, & IBO world titles last September.
Joshua, like Andy Ruiz Jr, the Olympic gold medalist, wants to correct his mistake by facing the Ukrainian fighter in a rematch.
Eddie Hearn, Joshua's promoter, told Seconds Away this month that he is 'baffled’ by last year's tactics and suggested a new gameplan for the rematch.
He stated, "I was speaking to him the other evening and I think it's finally baffled him why that fight took place."
He felt, even after he lost, that he could beat Usyk. Why fight like that when you don’t have to?
He could fight in his old style and have a better chance of defeating him. Klitschko-style, but Usyk can fight in your old style and have a better chance of beating him.
Hearn said that AJ needs to be "a lot more aggressive" at this point.
Both sides spent months negotiating a money-spinner deal for AJ’s second fight in Saudi Arabia. AJ had previously defeated Andy Ruiz Jr in points in the oil-rich nation in December 2019.
Joshua will also be able to train with a new team. Robert Garcia, an experienced trainer, will lead his side while Angel Fernandez is second-in command.
What time is Joshua vs Usyk II?
- Joshua vs Usyk 2, will be held Saturday August 20, 20.
- The fight will be held in Jeddah (Saudi Arabia).
- Joshua fought last in Saudi Arabia on December 19, 2019, at 9pm UK Time. The fight will begin at 9.30pm UK.
Is it available on a channel and can it be streamed live?
- After the Brit quit Sky Sports, Joshua vs Usyk 2 is now on DAZN. The deal was worth as much as PS100 million.
- DAZN added a pay per view arm to their model this past year, making it unclear what the PPV will cost.
- DAZN is available for PS7.99 in the UK. Subscribers have unrivalled access and privileges to big names like Ryan Garcia and Canelo alvarez.
Where will Joshua vs Usyk II take place?
The fight will be held in the Jeddah Super Dome.
It is home to the WWE Elimination Chamber, a 40,000-seater arena that was built without any pillars and is the largest geodesic dome of its kind in the world.
Saudi Arabia is a controversial host nation. The oil-rich country has been accused of sportswashing after spending large sums to lure some of the best golfers in the world to their LIV series.
Hearn has, however, dismissed any such comparison. He stated that he isn't worried about any backlash, as he has done it before.
"He will eventually go, Eddie over to you." Although I won't pass the buck, it is quite different when the deal is 50/50. We can't go back to Usyk, say "Let's do this at Spurs", because they'll just tell us it's a non-starter."
