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The highly-anticipated heavyweight rematch between Anthony Joshua and Oleksandr Usyk takes place next week, with the Brit desperate to reclaim his three world titles.
And the fight in Saudi Arabia later this month will be shown on Sky Sports Box Office after Sky outbid DAZN for the rights to the competition in a high-stakes deal, despite Joshua leaving Sky for a multi-year, multi-fight deal after nine years with DAZN said to be worth $100m a year (£83m).
The bidding process is understood to have reached more than $28m (£23.3m). The Saudis paid around £98m to host the competition at the King Abdullah Sports City Arena in Jeddah on 20 August.
Joshua’s deal with DAZN was announced in mid-June, but with Sky claiming the broadcast rights, it represents a huge boost for the television network given Joshua’s high-profile departure.
Joshua lost the WBA, WBO and IBF belts to Usyk on points in London last September. Talks are already underway for the winner to face WBC champion Tyson Fury in early 2023 if he returns from retirement.
Eddie Hearn, instrumental in persuading Joshua to switch to digital sports streaming platform DAZN, with which the promoter has an exclusive contract, remains the organizer of the event. Usyk and Joshua are said to earn around £50m each. The 35-year-old Usyk, now considered one of the top four boxers in the sport, goes into the rematch as the favorite.
What is it?
World heavyweight fight between Anthony Joshua and Oleksandr Usyk for the IBF, WBA and WBO belts.
when is it
The fight will take place on Saturday, August 20.
Where is?
The duel will take place in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
How to watch Joshua-Usyk 2 on TV
Watch above: The fight will be on Sky Sports
What is our prediction?
Gareth A Davies, Boxing Correspondent
If Joshua wins, it will be because he executes his game plan with educated pressure in the early rounds and gets a stoppage in the first seven rounds. If Usyk wins, it will be by withstanding early pressure, countering and winning on points or with a late stoppage between the 7th and 11th rounds. If I had to bet on it? Usyk
Last news
Anthony Joshua says he is determined to become the “comeback king” and avenge his defeat.
Joshua insists this time that he is ready for Usyk. “He was better than me on the night of the first fight, but the loss motivated me,” Joshua said. “Like against Andy Ruiz Jr., I have a second chance. Those who know my story know that I did it as a young man where I got into trouble.
“I’m the comeback king, you can knock me down, but you can’t hold me down. I’m 100 percent focused on being the champion again. He kicked me for a few rounds – and he was better at night.”
Usyk, who spent three months this year serving in the Territorial Regiment in his homeland fighting the Russian invasion, said one of the hardest moments of his life was explaining to his children why Russian soldiers ‘want to kill them’.
“I don’t even know how to explain all this,” said the fighter, whose home was once occupied by Russian soldiers. “My children ask ‘Dad, why do they want to kill us?’ And I don’t know what to answer them.
“I really didn’t want to leave our country, I didn’t want to leave our city. At one point I went to the hospital where the soldiers were wounded and were rehabilitating after the war, and they were telling me, they were asking me to go, to fight, to fight for the country, to fight for our pride. If you go there, they told me, you will help our country even more, instead of being here and fighting inside our country.”
Usyk added through interpreter Egis Klimas, his boxing manager: “I know that many of my close people and friends, close friends, are now on the front line and are fighting. What I am doing right now is my way of supporting them S I want to bring them some joy this fight.
“My family is not in Ukraine, but many people I know, my close friends, are inside the country. I am in contact with them every day and check how they are doing, whether they are in a safe place.”
“Every day I was there, I was training and I was asking God, please don’t let anyone deprive the children, please don’t let anyone shoot me and please don’t let me shoot anyone else. I would, if I would feel in danger if my life was in danger or if my family’s life was in danger. I should.”
What do you expect from the second leg? Tell us in the comments section below
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