If AJ fancied Fury he would step aside !!

Nice thought for many picking up 5 to 10 million for doing nothing..(Not talking about Floyd beating Mcgregor)...

Been a long history of fighters taking step aside money.. Page if memory recalls took a bundle for Holmes v Frazier and why not ?, Good money and if you back yourself a shot at the more shop worn winner who will have more mileage.

But alas this 40 million garbage is stupid and a way of pricing yourself out...

All because negotiations with Fury for Hearn should he win a unification would be more difficult...But hey 5-10 million step aside plus a huge purse at 30% doesn't seem too bad.

All boils down to the fact Hearn fancies Usyk but not Fury...Which is strange considering both him and AJ think they would beat Fury..Tell us often enough.

Yes Fury v Usyk means they have to wait a few months for their titles back..If they win.

But good money for nothing surely is a smart option after all Usyk is the favorite for the rematch..and 30% of Fury + step aside cash is better than what AJ gets for the rematch.

Lends one to think Hearn fancies Usyk but not Fury...

I think the main stumbling block here is not so much the belts but AJ's current mental state. I think his last loss has taken a lot more out of his self-belief than he ever expected. He's been noticeably quiet recently and has barely shown his face (not surprising given his awful performance).

Perhaps he wants to "beat everyone he faces" so will want to "right the wrong" and rematch Usyk first. It's pointless him facing Fury now, because a) he probably doesn't believe he can beat him in his present state and b) He will want the opportunity to face Fury for all the belts with him having some - it would be a MUCH easier fight to make than Fury-Usyk, and would generate far more money with them being both British.

Fury obviously believes he has the beating of everyone; he has nothing to lose by fighting Usyk for all 4. However as Usyk's facing AJ next (allegedly) and Fury's got Whyte as the WBC have invoked the mandatory clause, a step-aside doesn't make much sense to the AJ Camp - I think that rematch means more to AJ.

Valid points.. But Fury doesn't need a belt now....He is number 1 at Heavy by a mile and is lineal...True lineal doesn't always mean much but no one will buy Whyte vs stiff as champion..

Think AJ sees Usyk as his last chance to get the belts back and his Barnum promoter can pull out of Future Fury by saying the percentage wasn't right while filling Wembley for Wilder and Dubois types.

Think that is more like it.

Cheers for the reply.

I'm getting the impression that Hearn and Joshua aren't quite reading from the same hymn sheet on this one, and that Hearn's preferred option is the Usyk rematch while Joshua himself might be erring more towards sitting that one out and waiting to see how things stand in late 2022.

The promoter gets paid either way and will continue to do so long after Joshua hangs his gloves up, so naturally he's going to be very confident and bullish on Joshua's behalf. But Joshua himself might well be mindful that another loss to Usyk could ruin his hopes of going down as the best Heavyweight of recent years for good, and end any chance he might have of negotiating a Fury fight on equal terms.

I can't really make up my mind on how I'd view him taking the step aside dosh if it happens. On the one hand he's got to put himself above Hearn's desire to keep up appearances of him and Matchroom running boxing and I can understand why he might not want to rush into a fight he's (potentially) doubtful about whether he can win in his mind. As Truss mentions, a nice step aside sweetener here plus what he'll earn from any future Fury fight will probably work out as more than a rematch with Usyk, which he's probably evens to lose.

At the same time, none of us are seeing any of that money - we want to see big Heavyweight title fights on at least a semi-regular basis, and how much more money does Joshua really need? Outside of Canelo he's surely the highest-paid fighter in the sport and is sitting on an enormous personal fortune. Would make taking the step aside money stick in the craw a little for some fans, I'm sure, and harm his credibility with them given his previous comments about taking on all comers and putting glory ahead of money.

This is why I don't really like these rematch clauses. It would mean so much more and be better for his legacy if, after losing to Usyk, Joshua got back in there with a couple of dangerous contenders, took them out and then won the titles back having really earned another shot. Instead the house fighter can lose safe in the knowledge that he can cut out that risk factor and not have to concede his place at the higher table, because he's got a free hit of sorts, and worst ways can at least demand a hefty step aside fee for 'sacrificing' that second shot.

Either way, it encourages the house fighter to get comfortable and hold things up, neither of which are ideal from a fan point of view.

If he does move over then it'll be interesting to see what fights he takes in 2022, because I can't imagine he or Hearn will want to be inactive for what will likely be at least a year before there's even a chance of a Fury fight. Joshua surely can't sit on his hands until late 2022 or early 2023 but at the same time, would Hearn be willing to risk him against anything higher than gatekeeper while they're waiting?

Also be interesting to see what Usyk does if Joshua doesn't take the rematch. Unless Fury vacates the WBC title he's probably going to be tied up until late 2022, so Usyk would have to find something to be getting on with in the meantime. Despite holding three titles right now I'm pretty sure he only has one mandatory in place as things stand, which is Joyce for the WBO. That would be a decent first defence albeit if Joyce and Queensberry were unhappy with the purse split when it was meant to be a final eliminator then they might be even more unhappy with it now that Usyk is the defending champion.