Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk have agreed to fight each other in early 2023 without either man taking any bouts in the interim, according to promoter Bob Arum.
There has been plenty of talk of a unification battle between WBC heavyweight champion Fury and Usyk – holder of the WBA-Super, IBF, WBO and IBO belts – since the latter beat Anthony Joshua for a second time in August.
Having made a U-turn on his decision to retire earlier this year, Fury beat Derek Chisora in a trilogy fight this month.
Plans for the 'Gypsy King' to meet Usyk next appeared to have been jeopardised when the Ukrainian was ordered to defend his WBA belt against mandatory challenger Daniel Dubois.
Frank Warren – who represents both Fury and Dubois – has insisted the huge unification bout will take place first and Arum claims there should not be long to wait for that fight.
"The two fighters have agreed to fight each other next," Arum told Sky Sports.
"With Fury and Usyk we're dealing with two adults, not a lot of back and forth. Usyk is a good friend of mine, he's very intelligent and Tyson is Superman, both as an athlete and as an intellect.
"So they want the fight. Both of them want the fight and so there'll be very little, if any, messing around. We'll be able to make that happen. I'm very, very confident.
"As I said, the fighters have both agreed to fight each other next without any interim fights. We'll have it all sorted out, I hope maybe by the end of the year."
Arum remains uncertain over the likely venue for the fight, though he described the prospect of being held at Wembley as "wonderful".
"Now the question is what's the date, and what's the site?" Arum said. "But that fight is definitely going to happen and it will happen in the first four months of next year.
"We are balancing a couple of significant offers from the Middle East, and also there's the possibility of doing the fight in the UK at Wembley with a massive 95,000 crowd in attendance.
"Fighters have a relatively short life and money is important, so if the money which has been proposed to us is real, that has to be taken into consideration.
"To go back to Wembley and do a fight before 95,000 people for me really stirs up the blood. It would be crazy. It would just be wonderful."
Usyk sends Fury warning as he dismisses 'too easy' comments
Oleksandr Usyk issued a warning to Tyson Fury, urging him not to be "afraid" ahead of their highly anticipated rematch in December.
Usyk became the first undisputed heavyweight since Lennox Lewis in May following his split-decision win over Fury, ending the Gypsy King's unbeaten record.
Fury insisted that while he thought he won the fight, the only reason Usyk had been able to deliver a late onslaught was that he was "enjoying it too much and messing around".
"Oh my god, no way! Okay, no problem. The next fight will be easy [for him too]," Usyk told Sky Sports in response to Fury's comments.
"For me, my fight will be hard because Tyson Fury is a big man, a good boxer, with a good boxing IQ.
"But if Tyson says for him it will be easy, ok, no problem. I see for Tyson Fury, I see for the eyes of Tyson Fury, it's not easy. It will be hard, very, very hard.
"Tyson, don't be afraid - I will not leave you alone."
Fury had started the contest in the ascendency, landing an uppercut to the chin of Usyk which staggered the Ukrainian in the sixth round.
However, Usyk showed his powers of recovery once again, unloading on Fury with a flurry of punches that forced a knockdown in round nine.
Referee Mark Nelson stepped in to give Fury a count as he stumbled across the ring with just the ropes keeping him upright, managing to survive the full 12 rounds.
"For me, it doesn't matter," Usyk said on the officiating in Saudi Arabia. "Every referee, it's a professional guy.
"The referee does his job. Maybe my last punch would be dangerous for Tyson Fury. It's good.
"Tyson has a big family, I have a big family. Listen, we win. Everything is ok. I do not think about the referee after the fight. We win, thank god, all good, everything is ok.
"A lot of people say, 'Oh the referee took your knockout win' and say 'Referee bad'. I think no, the referee is good. It's just talking. Blah blah blah."
Lewis thanks former rival Rahman for help with Lewis’ League of Champions Boxing Camp in Jamaica
Former undisputed World Heavyweight Champion Lennox Lewis has expressed gratitude to former rival Hasim Rahman for participating in Lewis’ League of Champions Boxing Camp.
Rahman was among a number of high-profile names in the boxing world who helped coach youngsters at the camp which was held from July 8-13 at the Hopewell Sports & Community Centre in Hanover.
Rahman handed Lewis the second loss of his professional career to take his heavyweight titles back on April 22, 2001 in South Africa before, on November 17 that same year, Lewis got his revenge by knocking Rahman out in the fourth round in their rematch to regain his heavyweight titles in Nevada.
“Me and Hasim have come a long way from trading blows in the ring and the power of giving back to the youth is something that can even bring old foes like us together,” Lewis said in a post on Instagram on Tuesday.
James Ali Bashir, the former coach of current undisputed heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk, as well as former WBC Super Bantamweight Champion Alicia Ashley and former CBF Welterweight Champion Sakima Mullings were also on hand to help out the youngsters at the camp.
“Giving back to the youth has become a central mission in my life but I can’t do it alone. I’m grateful to everyone who helps make it all possible,” Lewis said.
Dubois hopes to become 'king slayer' in IBF title showdown with Joshua
Anthony Joshua is set for another shot at the IBF heavyweight title but Daniel Dubois hopes to become a "king slayer" when the pair meet at Wembley Stadium.
Oleksandr Usyk vacated the IBF heavyweight championship just five weeks after becoming the undisputed world heavyweight champion with his win over Tyson Fury, confirming his decision on X on Tuesday.
The all-British showdown was confirmed the following day as the duo prepare to battle at Wembley on September 21.
Joshua will bid to become a three-time world champion, while Dubois will appear in his first title fight after becoming the mandatory challenger for the IBF crown with his win over Filip Hrgovic this month.
The meeting will be Joshua's first at Wembley in three years, and Dubois hopes to bring his homecoming crashing down.
"That's just where I'm aiming for, to fight the best and be the best," Dubois said at Wednesday's press conference.
"AJ's been the king for a long time and on the night, I need to become a king slayer and that's my goal, that's the mission at hand.
"I'm learning more about myself as a fighter, as a person, coming out of the darkness and into the light, improving all round as a fighter and as an athlete. I'm up for this and ready to go."
Joshua has repeatedly been suggested as a potential opponent for Usyk or Fury, though says he will turn his attention solely on the upcoming Dubois bout.
"Congratulations to Daniel for winning his last fight," a measured Joshua said at the same press conference.
"I've been having Dubois on my mind for a while and he'll be on my mind for the next 12 weeks until I get my hand raised.
"The goal is just getting through a successful training camp, performing on the night and the shiny stuff comes at a later date."
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