Oleksandr Usyk vs Anthony Joshua rematch will happen next, in June.

Eddie Hearn has now declared that he believes the Oleksandr Usyk vs Anthony Joshua rematch will happen next, in June. It was previously reported that Usyk has been offered the chance to leave Ukraine's defence to train for the fight.

But boxing promoter Bob Arum, who represents Usyk’s countryman Vasiliy Lomachenko who has also joined the fight against Russia, revealed last week both men have been given special permission to leave the country in order to prepare for their respective title fights in the coming months.

There are understood to be ongoing talks between the Ukrainian government and Usyk’s team with Joshua’s promoter now hopeful the fight will take place by the end of June.

‘I think that’s the most likely scenario,’ Hearn told The DAZN Boxing Show when asked about whether Joshua will face Usyk next.

‘We had those conversations about a week ago and I had my doubts as to whether Usyk would be ready, but I believe now that there’s been some kind of conversations with Usyk and even Lomachenko as well with the government to say ‘look, how do we sit in terms of competing in major sporting events.’

‘I don’t think Usyk’s going to want to wait, once you start waiting anything can happen so we actually had some talks this morning.’

Following Usyk’s decision to return to Ukraine, Hearn suggested Joshua could take an interim fight should the Ukrainian need more time away from boxing.

Joe Joyce and Otto Wallin were among the names suggested and discussed by Joshua himself and while Hearn has not ruled out the interim fight, he believes Usyk will be next.

‘I do think Usyk will take that fight next, we’re looking at the end of June for that fight and that’s when the fight has got to take place by,’ Hearn said.