Anthony Joshua has his eyes on a bout with Murat Gassiev should he win Tyson Fury in the Battle of Britain.
After multiple failed attempts to get the fight off the negotiation table over the last 10 years, Joshua and Fury are finally going to get their hands on each other on December 11 at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium, writes talksport.com.
Reports further suggest that the winner will also be fighting for the WBA’s main world title – the ‘super’ heavyweight strap – so there will be more at stake than just bragging rights.
If this are true it would be the first time the ‘super’ belt has been fought between two non-titlists in boxing’s glamour division.
It is also terrible news for Gassiev, who had become the sole WBA heavyweight champion after Oleksandr Usyk decided to vacate his world belts in June. News
The Russian behemoth had previously held the WBA’s secondary ‘regular’ title but, in the absence of a ‘super’ champion, he had effectively become a legitimate world champion.
Gassiev had defended his championship in July against short-notice replacement Peter Kadiru, only to find out via a rumour in Ring Magazine that he would be reverting to his WBA ‘regular’ status to make space for Fury and Joshua.
Gassiev said on Tuesday he had not yet received official confirmation from the WBA.
Then he and his team submitted a formal objection “demanding that [the WBA] publicly refute the reports and take no action that would deny Gassiev his rightful status.”
“If anyone should be fighting for the WBA Super heavyweight title, it is Murat Gassiev, the reigning champion, not two boxers who currently have no world title between them,” wrote John Wirt, co-promoter and legal counsel for Gassiev.
Fury has since verified that the WBA ‘super’ belt has been sanctioned for his fight with Joshua, but it was not mentioned at Wednesday’s news conference.
After the launch press event Joshua was asked on stageside who he would like to face next if he beats Fury.
His response: “Murat Gassiev.
According to the WBA’s rules, a ‘super’ champion must make a defence against the ‘regular’ titlist within a period no more than 18 months.
In theory, that should imply that Joshua, if he wins, is obliged to fight Gassiev soon enough.
But the WBA has long ignored that regulation, particularly at heavyweight.
Example is Mahmoud Charr who sat atop WBA ‘regular’ trinket for 5 consecutive years without unification.
Meanwhile, Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn has revealed that AJ took a pay cut of more than £10m (€11.7m) for the long-awaited battle with Fury to take place in the UK.
Joshua and Hearn wanted the bout to be in Britain but Saudi Arabia’s boxing kingpin Turki Alalshikh, his American partner Dana White and broadcaster Netflix were keen on New York’s Madison Square Garden.
They finally got their way, choosing the 80,000-capacity Principality Stadium because of its retractable roof and backed by the conditions of their contracts with Saudi entertainment company, Sela.
But Joshua had to take a cut in purse for it to be held in Cardiff on December 11.
People started saying ‘please bring the fight to the UK,’” said Hearn. “And AJ started feeling that. To keep in the UK he’s need to reject down eight figures plus. AJ comes to me, ‘Whatever you think,’ and I’m like, ‘No, no, no, it’s your money. I can’t make that choice for you.’
He asked what (do you) think I should do, I told him I think the UK is where the fight should be, there’s an edge for him to have this fight in the UK, but it’s a lot of money. And he was like, ‘f*** it, we’re gonna do it in the UK.'”
Alalshikh said relocating the fight out of New York cost him €62m and the ring walks being held in the early hours of Saturday morning was a compromise that had to be made for the American market.
His original choice was Wembley and he wanted pop diva Dua Lipa to play the nite also but a tight 11pm curfew on events at the venue rendered it unviable.
Alalshikh: “I wanted it in Wembley, tell the Mayor. Dua Lipa. I knew right from the off that London wasn’t going to get the stadium until 2am. “Ultimately Wales have delivered and that is still within the UK.
About the Author
