Anthony Joshua vs. Oleksandr Usyk matchup set for Sept. 25

A heavyweight boxing title defense for Anthony Joshua against Oleksandr Usyk is set for Saturday, Sept. 25, at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.  

After weeks of anticipation, a heavyweight boxing megafight between reigning champion Anthony Joshua and Oleksandr Usyk has been formally announced.

Joshua (24-1, 22 KOs) will defend his IBF, IBO, WBA, and WBO titles against Usyk on Saturday, Sept. 25, at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, England. This will provide Joshua, who hails from the U.K., with a home-crowd advantage over Usyk, originally from Ukraine.

Joshua last fought in Dec. 2020 and knocked out Kubrat Pulev in round 9. In May, it looked like Joshua was going to meet WBC heavyweight titleholder Tyson Fury in August in Saudia Arabia. Those plans were dashed after an arbitrator ruled that former WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder is contractually obligated to a trilogy bout with Fury.

Oleksandr Usyk is the undefeated challenger for Anthony Joshua and tries to disrupt the heavyweight boxing’s power structure

Usyk (18-0, 13 KOs) is the former undisputed cruiserweight champion. He made his move to heavyweight in 2019, stopping Chazz Witherspoon in round 7. He outpointed heavyweight veteran Derek Chisora in his last bout in October 2020.

Both Joshua and Usyk are former Olympic gold medalists. Joshua won gold in 2012 as a super heavyweight, and Usyk took gold at the same games one division lower as a heavyweight.

“The date is set, and we are fully locked in,” said Joshua via a Matchroom press release. “September 25, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, I put it all on the line again, and it’s time to defend my crown. We are two Olympic Gold medallists who have fought our way to the top and never avoided challenges.”

Joshua vs. Usyk is a major heavyweight clash and can only be rivaled by the specter of Fury vs. Wilder 3 when that fight hopefully takes place. Fury vs. Wilder 3 was supposed to occur on July 24 but had to be postponed until Oct. 9 after Fury and several team members tested positive for COVID-19. Joshua vs. Usyk beat Fury and Wilder to the punch.