Oleksandr Usyk vs Anthony Joshua rematch now targeted for August

We already had a working location for Oleksandr Usyk vs. Anthony Joshua 2, and now we’ve got two working dates. Oleksandr Krasyuk, Usyk’s promoter, claims that his team has “been told to prepare” for an August 20th date, while Eddie Hearn tells the DAZN Boxing Show that the 13th is also a possibility.

The bout was initially slated for July 23rd in Jeddah, South Arabia, but seeing as we’re less than seven weeks out and they haven’t even officially announced it yet, I can’t say this news comes as a surprise.

Both men will be entering the ring with some unfamiliar baggage. Usyk (19-0, 13 KO) will be fighting for the first time since a brief tour of duty in his native Ukraine, which reportedly saw him lose over 20 pounds, while Joshua (24-2, 22 KO) will be making his first appearance under new trainer Robert Garcia.

While we wait for the organizers to get their heads on straight, I’ve got a question: will it actually go through, or will site fee they were promised go up in smoke and force them to relocate? I’ve got it 50/50.