Oleksandr Usyk has hinted he is willing to step aside and allow Anthony Joshua to fight Tyson Fury in what would represent a “once in a lifetime” unification bout.
Joshua returned to the ring following a 12-month absence last weekend, knocking out the obdurate Kubrat Pulev in the ninth round of a one-sided fight.
The former Olympic champion was reluctant to directly call out his British rival Fury afterwards, but his promotor Eddie Hearn insists it his duty to ensure the heavyweight blockbuster takes place next year, even if no belts are on offer.
After dominating the the cruiserweight division, meanwhile, Usyk stepped up to test himself at heavyweight level last year and claimed the WBO world title when he won a unanimous decision against Dereck Chisora in October.
The 33-year-old mandatory challenger insists he is still chasing a fight against Joshua, but would consider waiting until a later date in order to facilitate an eagerly anticipated unification contest.
He told The Sun: “All four belts might end up in the same hands of one person.
“It might be a once in a lifetime opportunity. We should all talk and communicate for that to happen because it is a really big event.
“I still want to fight Anthony Joshua for the title.
“There are many factors for this fight to happen, my team and all the participants and all their interested parties are already working on it.
“But there are still many people who wish to fight him as well, like Tyson Fury.”
