Oleksandr Usyk vs Anthony Joshua: A list of countries which could host the rematch
Saudi Arabia, England and Wales are all linked to staging the showdown between Oleksandr Usyk and Anthony Joshua.
It is official. Oleksandr Usyk will make the first defence of his WBA, IBF and WBO heavyweight titles against Anthony Joshua.
Fans are expecting it to be a summer showdown, with the end of June being the proposed date for the rematch, according to Usyk's promoter Alexander Krassyuk.
Usyk - who has been back in Ukraine to defend his country from an invasion by Russia - defeated Joshua in London last year to become the third fighter to win world titles at cruiserweight and heavyweight, following on from Evander Holyfield and David Haye.
Below, Planet Sport takes a look at the countries being linked with staging the rematch.
Saudi Arabia
The current front-runner for the fight is Saudi Arabia. Eddie Hearn has promoted an Anthony Joshua fight there before, and with the current climate, it offers the most commercial sense out of all the countries interested in holding the rematch.
This choice could provoke backlash due to Saudi Arabia's human rights track record, but as we all know, in boxing money talks and if you've done it once - like Joshua has for his rematch against Andy Ruiz Jr - then you'll do it again if the price is right.
England
Wembley Stadium is unlikely to be the host venue should the rematch to take place at the end of June. While the first two weekends are free, the next two are not, with Harry Styles and Ed Sheeran performing at the venue on June 18 and 25.
The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is the next best thing in England and they have a clean slate in June with rock band Guns N' Roses and Lady Gaga performing there in July. Eddie Hearn has a good relationship with Daniel Levy - the chairman of Tottenham - and held the first fight between Joshua and Usyk at the ground in September, 2021.
Wales
Joshua has fought there on two occasions - both ending with victory. His first was a win over Carlos Takam before unifying the heavyweight division with a points victory against New Zealand's Joseph Parker.
UAE
Nigeria
While Nigeria is not known for its boxing events, it is a country where Anthony Joshua wants to fight before the end of his career. Should he face Usyk there, it will be the first heavyweight world title fight on the continent outside of South Africa since the Rumble in the Jungle in 1976 (Foreman vs Ali).
🏟🇳🇬@JoeJoyceBoxing welcomes @anthonyjoshua at Wembley or in Nigeria 💥
— Boxing on BT Sport 🥊 (@BTSportBoxing) July 18, 2021
The Juggernaut explains how AJ used to get mobbed in Nando's when they ate together, as he plots his quiet route to the top 💪 pic.twitter.com/qCSoDKyuyu