If the WBO belt becomes vacant, Usyk and New Zealand boxer Joseph Parker will fight for the title, according to Sport.ua.
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Anthony Joshua should vacate two world titles and push to fight the winner of Deontay Wilder’s rematch with Tyson Fury, according to Frank Warren.
IBF, WBA and WBO heavyweight champion Joshua has Usyk and Kubrat Pulev as his mandatory challengers, with the latter in pole position to be his next opponent.
Joshua regained his WBA, IBF, WBO and IBO heavyweight titles last week with a unanimous points decision against Andy Ruiz Jr in Saudi Arabia.
The Brit’s next opponent was expected to be against the Bulgarian Kubrat Pulev in a mandatory title defence in April or May.
The Brit became a two-time world champ after getting revenge on Andy Ruiz Jr on Saturday six months after his shock defeat.
The winner of Anthony Joshua’s rematch with Andy Ruiz Jr could be mandated to fight Kubrat Pulev next, instead of Oleksandr Usyk.
Kubrat Pulev must complete a sexual harassment course and pay a $2,500 fine before boxing officials will lift his ban for kissing a female reporter “without her consent”.
Anthony Joshua will push on with plans to fight on June 1 despite Jarrell Miller’s failed drugs test – and Luis Ortiz and Adam Kownacki are the top targets to replace Miller if he is suspended.
Kubrat Pulev has been defended by his girlfriend after he was suspended by the California State Athletic commission for forcefully kissing a female reporter following his win over Bogan Dinu.
Bulgarian boxer Kubrat Pulev, known as The Cobra, has been ordered to appear before the California State Athletic Commission to explain why he abruptly kissed a reporter on the lips.
Hughie Fury was beaten on a unanimous points decision by Bulgarian Kubrat Pulev in his IBF heavyweight eliminator in Sofia.
Hughie Fury hopes victory on Saturday will set up his dream fight against Anthony Joshua in April next year.
Takam, 37, stepped in to fight Joshua on just 12 days’ notice last October after would-be opponent Kubrat Pulev pulled out after suffering a shoulder injury
The Cameroon-born Frenchman, 36, is a late replacement for the injured Bulgarian Kubrat Pulev, stepping in with just 12 days notice
The 28-year-old, last in action against Wladimir Klitschko six months ago, tipped the scales at 18st 2lbs – a stone more than his opponent at 16st 11lbs
Joshua is the overwhelming favourite to come out on top in Cardiff, with Takam only confirmed as his opponent last week after Kubrat Pulev was forced to pull out with a shoulder injury.
Pulev cited a pectoral muscle tear as the injury, but Joshua believes he would never pull out of a fight over a “niggle”.
The 36-year-old, ranked number three in the IBF rankings and called in as a late replacement for the injured Kubrat Pulev as Joshua’s challenger earlier this week, has lost just three of his 35 fights since turning professional in 2005.
The IBF and WBA champion had been scheduled to face his mandatory challenger at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium on October 28 and in front of a near-80,000-strong crowd, with over 70,000 tickets already sold.