Joe Joyce believes Oleksandr Usyk will vacate WBO title in 2023 with Daniel Dubois rematch on his radar

Joe Joyce believes Oleksandr Usyk will vacate his WBO heavyweight title if an undisputed fight against Tyson Fury does not materialise early next year.

Joyce, 37, secured the ‘interim’ WBO belt after his crushing knockout victory over Joseph Parker in Manchester in September, immediately calling out the undefeated Ukrainian in a post-fight interview.

Usyk’s immediate priority is WBC champion Fury – assuming he comes through his proposed December bout against Derek Chisora unscathed – in a bout to crown heavyweight boxing’s first undisputed champion since Lennox Lewis.

The 35-year-old has also suggested however he could drop back down to the cruiserweight division where he previously ruled as undisputed king, admitting in a recent interview the physical demands of competing at a much bigger weight have taken their toll.

After Usyk’s gruelling 17-year career across the amateur and professional codes, Joyce believes the champion will seriously consider vacating his WBO title, a move that would see the Briton elevated to full champion.

‘Ideally, I would like to fight Usyk,’ Joyce told Metro.co.uk. ‘But it seems he is now looking elsewhere, considering moving back to cruiserweight or wanting to fight Fury but it doesn’t look like that is on the table at the moment. Usyk could vacate and then I would be elevated.

‘I think he’s probably going to vacate. He doesn’t want that smoke. He has also been at it a long time. Hundreds of amateur bouts over the years and he will have earned very decent money for his last two bouts [against Anthony Joshua].

‘I don’t know, does he really want to take on The Juggernaut? If the Fury fight doesn’t happen for him, I’m not sure he wants to stay here and take loads of licks and have a hard fight when