What next for Anthony Joshua after Pulev? AJ set for Usyk bout before he can turn attention to Fury blockbuster

BRITISH boxing is going to keep booming into 2021 thanks to the UK giants leading the charge.

The heavyweight division is regarded almost as a separate sport – because of the mega money and noise the biggest boys make, compared to the rest of the divisions.

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What’s next for AJ after he faces off against Pulev?Credit: �Dave Thompson/Matchroom

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And three Brits are at the top of the Christmas tree at the end of this year, with a befuddling muddle of unmissable fixtures set for the coming months.

Anthony Joshua holds the WBA, IBF and WBO titles and has to fight Kubrat Pulev tonight to keep the IBF happy.

Next up, chronologically, is the WBO’s mandatory man Oleksandr Usyk, who was instantly made the main man after cleaning out the entire cruiserweight division and moving up from 14st 4lbs.

But back in June, AJ’s promoter Eddie Hearn revealed the Watford ace and the Gypsy King have agreed the finances for two-fight deal for 2021.

The first all-English clash will be an undisputed decider – to crown the first total ruler since Lennox Lewis – most likely to be in the Middle East.

The second should be held back in Britain but is likely to lose the WBO belt so Usyk – who is a Matchroom stablemate of AJ’s – can fight for that honour.

And Fury, who has not boxed since his brilliant February win over Deontay Wilder, will not be allowed to warm up before diving into the dream double.

Hearn said: “I’ve mentioned it to Team Fury, if he has a warm-up fight then we fight Usyk. 

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Tyson Fury is set to face Anthony Joshua twice in 2021Credit: Getty Images – Getty

“He’s not got the style that he needs a warm up. Straight in, and I think he’s happy with it.

“To have this fight in the UK we are dependent on having 90,000 here at Wembley.

“It’s going to be Saudi, Qatar and Abu Dhabi – they will be the three bidders from the Middle East. If we do the fight here we are totally dependent on the crowd.”

Bulgarian 39-year-old Pulev reckons he ruins all of these pipe dreams, by chinning Josh so convincingly he doesn’t even snap up a rematch.

Then Pulev fancies, with AJ’s three major belts, he can dive into an undisputed decider with Top Rank stablemate Fury, with all four belts on the line.

But Pulev’s best chance of beating Joshua came and went in 2017, when he was scheduled to fight him in Cardiff before a shoulder injury sidelined him.

The 2012 Olympic ace has cleaned out the division since then, only missing out on the iconic green and gold strap because Wilder ducked him for almost two years, until the Gypsy King dethroned him.

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Oleksandr Usyk has earned his right to face JoshuaCredit: Mark Robinson

Joshua was warned against overlooking opponents, when he planned the Wilder battle in the 2019 build-up to the first disastrous Ruiz bout. 

But the fact the Fury financial agreement was revealed in June means he cannot duck talk out of the biggest fight in British boxing history.

“I don’t get involved in the show,” he said. “When it’s serious, I will be ready to rock and roll.

“I’m training hard and ready to defend my titles, all in the name of the undisputed championship.

“I’m fighting my mandatory so I don’t have to give up my titles so I can fight for the undisputed championship.

“If I didn’t want to fight for the undisputed championship, I would have vacated my IBF and taken an easier fight.

“People want to see the undisputed championship so I have to fight tough guys like Pulev along the way to get myself in position.”

If Fury does insist on a tune-up clash before leaping into AJ, then Josh will move on to division’s boogieman in southpaw stylist Usyk.

The Ukraine great dealt with Derek Chisora at Wembley Arena on Halloween, with Joshua ringside and cheering for his North London pal.

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Ukrainian Usyk could be Joshua’s next opponentCredit: ©Mark Robinson Ltd

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And Hearn explained how the genius leftie will not wait around for his shot at heavyweight gold.

He said: “If we get the Fury fight made, we are going to be applying to the WBO to make that for undisputed and if they say no we have to go to you and try to make a deal

“If we can’t make the Fury fight for any reason, then we will fight Usyk 100 per cent. They’re kind of waiting to see what happens.”

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