Boxing promoter Bob Arum has suggested that both mandatory heavyweight contenders, Dillian Whyte and Oleksandr Usyk should fight each other early next year to produce one solidify contender for the Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua winner.
Meanwhile, British heavyweight boxers, Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua have agreed to a 50/50 split of the purse for their first fight next year.
Dillian Whyte is the WBC’s mandatory for Fury, while Oleksandr Usyk is the WBO’s mandatory for Joshua.
The winner of the Fury/Joshua bout is however guaranteed the bigger financial reward for the rematch with a guaranteed take-home of 60 per cent. Fury’s American promoter, Bob Arum revealed the details of the figures after the potential all-British heavyweight unification fight was announced on Wednesday.
Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn had earlier revealed the two men would take part in two fights in 2021 – with Frank Warren confirming talks were ongoing. Warren also revealed the pair were set for their biggest pay-days yet, at around £55m apiece for the first fight and double that amount in the second.
“[Fury and Joshua] could get between £47m to £55m each from one fight against each other… double that if there’s a rematch, in one year,” Warren said.
Arum also confirmed that each fighter will have to earn the right to pocket a bigger share of the fight purse in the rematch.
“If they get by those fights, we would do two fights next year, 50-50, and 60-40 to the winner.
“That’s as far as we’ve gone, that’s as far as we’re at,” he said
Joshua, 30, is first set to fight Kubrat Pulev, with 31-year-old Fury taking on Deontay Wilder in the third fight of their trilogy. Should the pair both win, they will finally go toe-to-toe in the ring to be crowned undisputed heavyweight champion of the world.
Neither fight will be in the UK, with Fury not having a British boxing licence – leaving Saudi Arabia and Las Vegas as the most-likely hosts. No broadcast deal is yet in place, with DAZN owning AJ’s US fights and ESPN having Fury.
