One of the most important undisputed heavyweight title fights takes place on May 18 between WBC champion Tyson Fury & unified champion Oleksandr Usyk. This could only be made possible by the most influential man in the sport today, Turki Alalshikh, chairman of the General Entertainment Authority (GEA) board of directors. It’s no secret that he is working with a tremendous budget to bring the biggest entertainment events to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. That said, Alalshikh has publicly announced his plans for the winner of Fury-Usyk.
Earlier today, Alalshikh posted a picture of himself standing next to former unified heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua via his verified social media account. The caption reads, “We are waiting for the result of Usyk vs Fury.” It’s been widely reported that the Fury vs Usyk deal is for two fights, so would Joshua have next at some point in 2025 or sooner? Plans seem to change quickly, as seen with the Zhilei Zhang vs Joseph Parker rematch, which looked to be next, and all of a sudden, Zhang is fighting Deontay Wilder. At the end of the day, Alalshikh has the money and power to have things play out his way as promoters are stuffing their pockets with large checks from him.
If Usyk wins, do we really need to see Joshua vs Usyk 3? No thank you. That second fight was painful to watch, and the third wouldn’t be any different. If Fury wins, you have the type of fight that may make the world stop for one night. Alalshikh is smart and savvy, so he likely has plans A, B, C, D, etc., for all of the scenarios, and whichever comes to fruition, he will make it work out.
For now, let’s first get this undisputed heavyweight title fight to happen, and whoever wins on May 18 and whichever scenario plays out, the fight fans will likely get the matchup they are looking forward to the most.
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