Shaun Murphy-
Anthony Joshua has criticized large sections of the British Press for claiming he has accepted a £15m step aside offer to allow an undisputed world title fight between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk.
Former British world champion Joshua categorically said he had not conducted any interviews in this respect, as he condemned the articles as bxxxxxit”
Joshua activated a rematch clause to fight Usyk for the WBA, IBF and WBO heavyweight belts, following the Ukrainian’s victory in London last September, and once expressed an interest in accepting step aside money to allow Usyk face Wbc champion, Tyson Fury, only for matters to change after the Wbc mandated Tyson Fury to defend his belt against Dillian Whyte.
However, a dispute on income potential for a clash between Whyte and Fury led to what Joshua has now claimed to have been erroneous claims that he agreed to step aside money.
various publications claiming that Fury’s camp was exploring the possibility of facing Usyk, but
Recent reports have claimed Joshua was set to accept a £15m deal to step aside and allow Usyk to fight WBC champion Fury for all the belts.
However, Joshua has gone out of his way to dispel those rumours by expressing his readiness to face Usyk
Responding to the speculation, Joshua said on the Undefeated Podcast: ‘You know what’s bad about all these interviews I see? I see interviews that quote what I said, I think to myself, I ain’t done no interviews.
‘Where did this person get this information from? I see people saying “AJ accepts £15m to step aside.”
‘I ain’t signed no contract, I ain’t seen no contract. As it stands, stop listening to the b*****t until it comes from me.
‘I’m the man in control of my destiny. I’m the man who handles my business. I’m a smart individual and I make calculated decisions every step of the way.
‘Don’t listen to the b******t from other sources. If I tell you something then you know it’s real.’
Fury put his rivalry with Deontay Wilder to bed with a stunning victory over the American in October. The 33-year-old is yet to agree a mandatory defence of his WBC title against Britain’s Dillian Whyte.
Joshua’s promoter, Matchroom chief Eddie Hearn, however discussed the possibility of his fighter stepping aside and freeing up a stunning bout between Fury and Usyk.
Eddie Hearn told Sky Sports: ‘I’m meeting with AJ and 258 management [on Tuesday] to go through plans for his next fight.
‘We have a number of proposals and options to discuss. The goal remains the same of course – to re-capture the world heavyweight crown.’
Usyk’s promoter Alexander Krassyuk, meanwhile, says he is still awaiting confirmation of his fighter’s next bout, whether that be Fury or a rematch with Joshua.
‘We are in talks regarding Fury fight since November,’ Krassyuk said.
‘And though AJ gave his consent [according to reports in England] we still have not reached the final point in negotiations. And unless we get it – AJ rematch remains the basic option for us.’
The official word from AJ is that he is still pursuing the rematch with Usyk.