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The team behind unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk are expecting to finalize the date and venue for the rematch with Anthony Joshua within the next two weeks.
Last September at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Usyk outboxed Joshua over twelve rounds to capture the IBF, IBO, WBA, WBO heavyweight belts.
Joshua would later exercise an immediate rematch clause.
“Within the next two weeks we expect to finalize details,” Usyk’s promoter, Alexander Krassyuk, told Sky Sports.
According to Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn of Matchroom, they are looking for a date in June.
There has been some discussion of Saudi Arabia hosting the fight. Joshua fought in the country back in 2019, when he boxed past Andy Ruiz in Diriyah to reclaim the titles.
“This location is under discussion at the moment,” Krassyuk told Sky Sports last week. “Late June is also the timing we are considering now.
“Many things will depend on how fast we manage to ink the papers. The good thing is that Usyk is already in Europe to start his preparation.”
The rematch was initially targeted to land on a date in May, but that scenario was pushed back when Usyk returned home to Ukraine to assist the local military with their efforts against the ongoing invasion by Russia.
A few weeks later, Usyk announced that he was leaving Ukraine to begin his training for the Joshua rematch.
“That’s how I will help my country more and it’s better than being in territorial defense and running around Kyiv with a machine gun,” said Usyk.
“Dear friends, many of my friends and close ones called me and supported me in this. Haters, I wish you well and wish you happiness, joy and peace. Everything will be with God’s blessing. Everything will be Ukraine. Wishing everyone well.”