Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
I’LL MAKE YOU PAY
Joshua tells his bitter rival Fury it will cost him if he wants a clear run at Usyk
BY CHRIS MCKENNA ANTHONY JOSHUA has told Tyson Fury to pay up if he wants him to step aside for an undisputed clash with Oleksandr Usyk.
Joshua triggered an immediate re-match clause with Usyk after the Ukrainian outpointed him in September to claim the WBA, IBF and WBO heavyweight titles.
WBC champion Fury (above, right) said last week that he wants his British rival to forfeit that fight and instead let him fight Usyk in an undisputed battle.
Joshua, 32, insists his focus is on getting revenge against
Usyk but has refused to rule out accepting an offer from Fury. He said: “Let me be real, it’s not about the money, it’s about respect. “What I want out of this game most of all is respect. You don’t have to like me but you will respect me. Second thing I want is to go down as a throwback fighter, somebody who was willing to fight the best in their division.
“But I have always wanted to make the smart moves when it comes to this business. If the money is right, you always have to look at it.
“I don’t know if stepping aside is in line with what I morally stand for. But, let me be real, I want to be known as one of the smartest businessmen as well.”
Any approach would need to guarantee Joshua a fight with the winner of Fury against Usyk.
But no financial offer has been made yet.
Fury looks set to return to the ring in February or March after his demolition of Deontay Wilder in the third fight of their trilogy last month.
If it is not Usyk, then it is expected an offer will be made to British contender Dillian Whyte in the coming weeks.
The clash between Amir Khan (top) and bitter British rival Kell Brook (bottom) will be confirmed today at a press conference in London.
The pair have been targeting a February 19 date at Manchester Arena and now the fight contracts have been signed.
The bout will take place at a catchweight between welterweight and lightmiddleweight.
New York fight fans watched a huge upset on Saturday as Australian lightweight George Kambosos Jr dethroned Teofimo Lopez as the king of the division.
Kambosos floored the prefight favourite in the first to set the tone for a blockbuster battle.
The Aussie (in action, below) controlled the middle part of the fight before the defending WBO, IBF and WBA champion Lopez rallied to put the challenger on the canvas in the 10th.
But Kambosos, available at 6-1 with bookies before the fight, responded to nick the last two rounds and it was enough to convince the ringside judges on a split decision at the Hulu Theatre inside Madison
Square Garden.