It was only the second defeat of Joshua’s professional career, and having wrenched away the Brit’s WBA, IBF, WBO and IBO heavyweight titles, Usyk was left contractually tied when a rematch clause was activated.
After preparations got underway to make the fight for May 2022, Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, claimed this week that the contracts were already signed.
It remains to be seen how Usyk’s return to Ukraine will affect plans for the fight to go ahead, given that it had not been officially confirmed.
The 35-year-old trains and lives near Kyiv, where much of the activity between Russian and Ukrainian troops is currently unfolding.