Anthony Joshua is willing to accept an interim fight if his rematch with Oleksandr Usyk is delayed due to Ukraine's war against Russia.
The British star is looking to regain his unified heavyweight titles from Usyk after he out-boxed him in a punch-perfect display to beat Joshua last year.
Usyk recently came over to the UK to hold talks over the second meeting but has now returned home to Ukraine to take up arms against the Russian invasion.
And Joshua's promoter Eddie Hearn has confirmed Usyk will be given the time he needs, and that Joshua will not drop his contractual obligation to a rematch.
“It’s difficult to speak on behalf of Oleksandr Usyk," Hearn told MMA Hour. "Firstly, I thought with everybody in Ukraine and people showing incredible bravery out there, particularly some of the great fighters of the past and Oleksandr as well.
“He can have the time that he needs, we [Joshua] don’t want any other fight but Oleksandr Usyk. Whether there’s a delay for that fight and we have an interim bout, I guess that’s subject to the situation with Usyk and how much time he needs.
“It’s a very emotional time and personal time for the people of Ukraine. So we’ll respect them and give them all the time, but we wouldn’t be looking to get out of our obligation, is what I’m saying.
“The only fight AJ wants right now is Oleksandr Usyk. If we have to fight in between, no problem at all, but we’ll respect this time for Oleksandr Usyk and speed to his advisers.
“If there needs to be a delay for the contractual period, we will be happy to grant that, but we want that fight. We don’t want that obligation to slide away."
It is unclear what the calibre of opponent could be for Joshua if he is to take an interim fight to remain active.
British promoter Frank Warren previously offered British stars Joe Joyce and Daniel Dubois to Joshua if he did not want to step straight into a test with Usyk.
Who should Anthony Joshua face if he takes an interim fight? Let us know in the comments section below
Deontay Wilder has also admitted he would be willing to schedule a fight with Joshua on his return, but that looks highly unlikely.
For now Joshua could face a lengthy delay with Usyk admitting that he is unsure when he will be ready to compete again.
He told CNN : "I really don't know when I'm going to be stepping back in the ring. My country and my honour are more important to me than a championship belt.
"The bombing around is crazy, they just bombed the city of Mariupol, one of my friends got a rocket in his roof. [The Russians] are not playing games."
