Oleksandr Usyk ‘Wants to Fight Both’ Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua for Heavyweight Crowns

Former undisputed cruiserweight world champion Oleksandr Usyk is adamant about fighting both Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua after making his heavyweight debut.

The 33-year-old retired Chazz Witherspoon after seven rounds when he made his heavyweight bow in October, and Usyk is scheduled to meet Dereck Chisora at the O2 Arena on May 23.

Usyk—the mandatory challenger for Joshua’s WBO title—was asked about his pursuit of the heavyweight belts and told Sky Sports he’s working hard on that quest.

The Ukrainian star was then quizzed on who he’d prefer to face next out of Fury or Joshua, replying: “I want to fight both. The last thing I think about is who will fight who. No predictions.”

Joshua is poised to meet Kubrat Pulev in a mandatory IBF championship bout on June 20, while Fury is expected to put his WBC crown on the line in a trilogy clash against Deontay Wilder.

All signs suggest 23-1 Joshua will improve his record against Pulev, who is a +650 (7.50) underdog with Pointsbet NJ ahead of their bout, with the Briton priced as a runaway -1000 (1.10) favorite.

Egis Klimas, Usyk’s manager, indicated the mandatory WBO challenge against Joshua will be the priority after the Chisora fight, though the fate of that fixture looks uncertain due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Both Usyk and Chisora wore face masks to their press conference on March 13, per TalkSport, while the former sprayed disinfectant in an effort to limit his chances of contracting COVID-19.

Provided both Usyk and Joshua’s fights go ahead as planned, it would make sense for the pair to face off first before “Olek” might shift his attention to Fury. There’s no date in place for when a third bout opposite Wilder may come to fruition as things stand, though the ongoing coronavirus pandemic has threatened to delay it further.