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Colossal Usyk vs. Joshua Rematch Lands In The Kingdom Of
Saudi Arabia In Jeddah On Aug. 20
Unified Heavyweight World Champion Oleksandr Usyk will put
his IBF, WBA, WBO and IBO World Titles on the line against
Anthony Joshua in the coastal city of Jeddah, Kingdom of
Saudi Arabia on Saturday August 20.
One of the biggest Heavyweight rematches in the history of
the sport, Usyk vs. Joshua 2, billed ‘Rage on the Red Sea’,
will take place nearly three years on from the historic
‘Clash on the Dunes’ event at the Diriyah Arena that saw
Joshua reclaim his Heavyweight crowns against Andy Ruiz Jr.
Under the patronage of HRH Mohammad bin Salman and in line
with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 ambitions, the eyes of the
sporting world will be on the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia once
more as ‘AJ’ aims to exact revenge over Usyk and take his
place back at the top of the Heavyweight division.
Joshua (24-2, 22 KOs) was dethroned as Heavyweight King by
Ukrainian pound-for-pound star Usyk in September 2021 in
front of over 60,000 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in
London, England on a memorable evening in boxing’s marquee
division.
Since the pair’s first meeting, former Undisputed
Cruiserweight World Champion Usyk (19-0, 13 KOs) has gained
further global attention after putting the rematch on hold
to support his home nation on the front line during their
ongoing conflict.
Usyk said: “I have a goal, with the help of the Lord I
will complete my mission!”
“What a roller coaster journey, fighting for the Heavyweight
Championship of the World for the 12th consecutive time,”
said Joshua. “I won the belt, unified the division won
another belt, lost the belts, became two-time Unified
Heavyweight Champion and now have my date with history set
to become three-time Unified Heavyweight Champion of the
World. What an opportunity
“Fighting championship level back to back has had its pros
and cons, but I decide every day to get stronger, to learn
from my experiences and grow. A happy fighter is a dangerous
fighter and I am the happiest and most motivated I have
been.
“Thank you to the organisers, to 258MGT, Matchroom Boxing
and to all the boxing fans across the world, with a special
shout out to the Ukrainian fans who have been through a
really tough time.”
Prince Khalid bin Abdulaziz, Chairman of SCEE, said:
“This is another proud moment for the Kingdom of Saudi
Arabia bringing the biggest rematch in global boxing to our
great country. Oleksandr Usyk and Anthony Joshua are both
brilliant champions with different stories, skills and
styles and the whole world will watch them go head-to-head
in the ring on August 20 – we look forward to welcoming
them.”
Eddie Hearn, Chairman, Matchroom Boxing, said: “We are
thrilled to get one of the biggest Heavyweight rematches in
boxing history made and give Anthony Joshua the chance to
reclaim what he lost in London last September. Everything is
on the line for this Unified World Heavyweight Championship
bout and it could not be a bigger contest. We know Oleksandr
Usyk is a great fighter and we saw that last time out, but I
know Anthony Joshua is more determined than ever. It was a
huge success to host Anthony Joshua’s contest with Andy Ruiz
Jr. in The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 2019 and we are
looking forward to working with the country again to stage
this historic event. So, no doubt all eyes of the world will
be on the ring come Saturday August 20th. This is a story of
redemption, and the countdown starts now.”
Alexander Krassyuk, Usyk's Promoter, said: “The rematch
is on the way. The fight will be much bigger and more
spectacular than the first. It is new history in the making.
Being a part of this event is a huge honour. Our country is
now fighting for its heritage. Our mission is to expand its
legacy. With the help of the Lord we will achieve this.”
Freddie Cunningham, Managing Director, 258MGT, said: "We
are on the verge again of another huge moment in boxing
history and the career of Anthony Joshua. Since turning
professional Anthony has never shied away from anything, he
has taken every challenge and actively looked for the
biggest fights against the best in his division. This is his
opportunity to become a Three Time Heavyweight Champion of
the World and he will put everything into achieving this
amazing feat. A big thank you to our team at 258 MGT, SCEE,
Matchroom Boxing and everyone who has helped put this
together.”
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