Anthony Joshua Vs Oleksandr Usyk
Anthony Joshua and Oleksandr Usyk are set to go toe to toe in their rematch in a huge WBA (super), IBF and WBO heavyweight title fight in Saudi Arabia on August 20. AJ lost his three world titles against the Ukrainian last year and the Briton is now on a mission to win them back.
Joshua talking the talk
Joshua has been saying the right things in the build up to the fight and he clearly acknowledges the need to adapt his style from the first fight if he wants to beat Usyk this time around.
Rather puzzlingly, AJ made the decision to attempt to outbox and outmanoeuvre one of the most technical boxers we have ever seen, when he faced Usyk at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last September.
If the Watford man is to have success in the rematch he will need to close the gap and assert his size and power on Usyk.
Joshua is now well aware that he has no chance of being victorious in a technical battle against the Cat, although it will not simply be a case of changing his approach and winning the fight.
Usyk IS the real deal
Usyk is a genuine pound-for-pound contender, a former undisputed cruiserweight king and a brilliant boxer.
If AJ commits against the Ukrainian he may find himself on the end of even more punishment. Of course, if the Briton is able to use his size and fight the bout at close quarters he may be able to land some big punches on the Cat, but the bottom line is that Usyk is the vastly superior fighter.
It is worth remembering that the Ukrainian came mighty close to stopping Joshua in London and that was with AJ operating in a pretty conservative manner.
The Brit hasn’t looked the same fighter since he was shocked and stopped by Andy Ruiz in 2019. It’s all very well for Joshua to say that he deployed the wrong tactics in the first fight, but that strategy may have been decided on because the Watford man knows that he lacks punch resistance.
The 32-year-old has faced just a handful of top-level heavyweights in his career. He was beaten by Usyk, knocked down by Wladimir Klitschko, dropped and stopped by Andy Ruiz and rocked by Alexander Povetkin and Dillian Whyte. Yes, AJ won four of those bouts, but when looking at the performances as a collective, the Joshua chin starts to look suspect.
Betting Tip: Stoppage win for the Cat
Usyk went off as a 9/4 chance in the first fight between the pair and he is now a strong odds-on favourite for the rematch. On what we saw in the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Joshua has nothing more than a puncher's chance, and the Brit may not even have that, if he once again fails to commit and land some big shots on the Ukrainian.
It’s fancied that AJ will come out of his shell in Saudi Arabia, but he is likely to be picked off by an outstanding opponent.
Usyk knows he can hurt Joshua after the first bout and he may go after the Brit in the rematch.
At the prices backing a Ukrainian stoppage win looks the best value in what should be another dominant Usyk victory.