Anthony Joshua will have one last fight on Sky Sports Box Office when he rematches Oleksandr Usyk next month, but fans have expressed their annoyance at an increased price for the bout.
The two-time world heavyweight champion looks to exact revenge on the Ukrainian in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia after he had his his unified heavyweight title belts taken from him when the pair fought in London back in September. And the bout has now been confirmed to take place on Sky Sports, despite the Brit having recently inked a worldwide deal with DAZN.
Joshua will square off with Usyk in a career-defining fight, that could set up an undisputed bout with Tyson Fury if he can get the victory. But he faces a monumental task against the former undisputed cruiserweight champion, who has never lost as a professional and dominated their first meeting.
Will you pay £26.95 to watch Anthony Joshua fight Oleksandr Usyk again? Let us know in the comments section below!
It is being reported that the pay-per-view price for the fight has been set at £26.95, meaning a £2 increase on previous events. His last few have cost fans £24.95, which in itself has proven controversial with fans, who felt that £20 was a hefty enough price for his shows.
"That’s a lot to see Joshua take his third L," wrote one annoyed fan, with another adding: "This time they can’t blame Eddie [Hearn, Joshua's promoter]."
Many noted that the price seemed "a bit steep", while one joked that they had "better not buy food that week". Joshua very publicly signed an exclusive broadcast deal with DAZN worth in the region of £100million last month, but it has always been clear that this fight would be put up for bidding by Saudi Arabia, who have paid huge money to get the fight in the Middle East.
And Sky Sports have likely had to mark up the price to deal with paying a massive price to wrestle the fight away from the streaming service. Promoter Eddie Hearn has even admitted that he believes that the bout could end up losing the broadcaster money.
Speaking earlier this month, he confirmed that DAZN would have set the PPV price at £20, and said: "The way the boxing industry is going in the UK, people are prepared to make a loss."
"Sky Sports viewers have enjoyed a long history with AJ, watching his every fight since he turned professional in 2013," said Adam Smith, Sky Sports' Head of Boxing Development of the fight taking place on Sky. "We also know Oleksandr Usyk very well, having had the last four of the Ukrainian's fights exclusively live on Sky Sports.
"This rematch is a massive occasion with everything on the line and so many questions to be answered. We can't wait to bring it to boxing fans in the UK & Ireland in true Sky Sports fashion with all the build-up it deserves."
