Hearn Foresees a Match Between Usyk and Hrgovic

Eddie Hearn, the promoter of Matchroom Boxing, has shared his insights regarding the future of Oleksandr Usyk, the WBA, WBO, and IBF world champion. He indicated that Usyk could potentially square off with the mandatory contender for the IBF title, Croatian boxer Filip Hrgovic.

"There is a chance that the Joshua-Wilder fight will take place in early January, but we understand that Tyson Fury will fight Francis Ngannou in an exhibition fight. That rules out his fight with Usyk. But our fight will still take place," stated Hearn.

The promoter emphasized that Usyk "will still be performing on this card." He said, "Perhaps he will fight with Filip Hrgovic. Filip is a mandatory contender. This will not affect the confrontation between Joshua and Wilder. If Usyk does not compete for the title of undisputed champion, then this is a fight that he is obliged to have, guided by the rules of the sanctioning body," Hearn explained to Boxing News.

He also pointed out that Tyson Fury's promoter had previously confirmed there would be no match between Fury and Oleksandr Usyk in 2023.