Anthony Joshua vs Oleksandr Usyk part three could happen if both are successful in their respective fights.
Talks of a potential third bout between Anthony Joshua and Oleksandr Usyk have arisen as both heavyweight legends prepare for their next test.
Joshua will face fellow Englishman Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium, London, on September 21, with the winner almost certain to become the mandatory challenger to the winner of the rematch between Usyk and Tyson Fury in December.
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Usyk the number one in the heavyweight division
Both fighters have gone on to different things since the last time the pair met.
Their first fight back in 2021 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London saw Usyk enter as the underdog – only to beat Joshua in front of a home crowd.
The Ukrainian then repeated the feat a year later in Saudi Arabia and his victory against the ‘Gypsy King’ saw him become the first undisputed champion of the heavyweight division since Lennox Lewis in 1999.
He has since had to surrender his IBF title – the belt Joshua and Dubois will do battle for – after Usyk was forced to vacate his belt for failing to fulfil his mandatory rights.
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Carl Froch’s prediction is bad news for Anthony Joshua
Should Joshua beat Dubois and Usyk beat Fury then the appetite for a third fight between the two will be at an all-time high.
Currently, there is no guarantee this will happen but it hasn’t stopped people from making their predictions, with Carl Froch being one of them.
Unfortunately for Joshua, Froch sees Usyk as the clear favorite and believes the only way the Englishman could win is if he “takes a bat in the ring”.
Talking about the possible fight on his YouTube channel, he said: “Usyk will put a can of whoopa** on AJ. AJ can’t beat Usyk, he can’t beat him, it’s impossible unless he takes a bat in the ring.
“That’s nothing against AJ, Usyk is just class and he’s so good in that ring I just can’t see him losing.
“He’s done him twice, so he’ll do him a third time.”
Usyk opens door to Anthony Joshua trilogy
It seems that both fighters would also be keen to face off in the ring one more time, with Usyk praising Joshua for helping him to
“Anthony helped me become even more famous in the world. Anthony did it,” he told Mail Sport.
Usyk then added that he would have “no right to deny” Joshua the chance to a third shot at beating him.
He added: “I don’t particularly want any rematches, but when we beat Tyson Fury for the second time and when Anthony Joshua beats Daniel Dubois, of course they will want to do a third fight.
“From my point of view, I have no right to deny Anthony a third fight because he gave me two incredible fights.
“If it happens with God’s help, then I am ready for a third fight with Anthony.”