Anthony Joshua reopening the door to a third fight with Oleksandr Usyk would have sounded unrealistic a few years ago. Now it sounds possible, even after two defeats and a friendship that has developed between the pair outside the ring.
That shift was made clearer this week when promoter Eddie Hearn admitted Joshua would still “love” another shot at Usyk despite losing twice to the Ukrainian southpaw in 2021 and 2022. Historically, heavyweight rivalries rarely continue after one fighter wins the first two fights cleanly. Boxing usually moves on. This situation appears to be moving in the opposite direction.
Joshua (29-4, 26 KOs) has spent recent years rebuilding both his career and public standing following the back-to-back defeats to Usyk. During that time, the relationship between the two heavyweights changed completely. They trained together, appeared publicly comfortable around one another, and dropped the bitterness that often follows major heavyweight rivalries.
That is part of what makes Hearn’s comments unusual.
“I don’t think so,” said Hearn this week when asked if Joshua’s friendship with Usyk would stop another fight. “But boxing’s a funny old game. Part of AJ would always love to fight Usyk because he’s got beat twice. And same with Fury. They’re competitors. They want to try and take him on again.”
The heavyweight division has started operating under a different set of rules in the Saudi Arabia era. Familiarity and commercial value now carry almost as much weight as unfinished competitive business. Tyson Fury is also openly pursuing a third fight with Usyk despite losing twice himself.
In previous eras, a fighter losing two straight title fights to the same opponent usually closed the chapter. Joshua-Usyk III would reverse that logic completely. Instead of rivalry tension driving the demand, it would be legacy and personal redemption.
Joshua still has work to do before that discussion becomes serious. He returns in July against Kristian Prenga before an expected showdown with Fury later this year. Hearn made clear the immediate focus remains on those two fights.
“His endgame is to win the world heavyweight championship again,” said Hearn. “He wants to beat Tyson Fury, and he wants to win the world heavyweight championship again.”
The idea still hangs there, though. Not long ago, the image of Joshua jogging beside Usyk on a beach would have looked impossible. Now the possibility exists that two fighters who became training partners after a one-sided rivalry could eventually end up sharing the ring for a third time anyway.
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Last Updated on 2026/05/17 at 5:44 PM
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