Well
Not the fight we wanted but I'll take this as the next best thing for Joshua.
Usyk wins this all day long.......if he was nearer to Joshua's size.....but he isn't.
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Well
Not the fight we wanted but I'll take this as the next best thing for Joshua.
Usyk wins this all day long.......if he was nearer to Joshua's size.....but he isn't.
AJ wins this all day long. Too big, strong and powerful for Usyk who has little to offer but speed and skill. Keeping AJ away for 36 minutes will not happen and he will get caught and stopped.
This should set up the match with Tyson Fury should he beat Wilder for the 3rd time.
Amazing conclusion there. Keep your phone switched on in case Sky ring and offer you a job
You will hear noise that Usyk is dangerous for AJ and all wrong. That is all hype and AJ will dispose of him. I do not want you falling for the hype and putting a bet on Usyk.
Well, the truth is that there is nobody out there for Joshua to profitably fight. The heavyweight division is pretty much a desert outside the top 3 guys, especially in terms of their profile and fan bases. Yes, AJ would probably pack out a UK stadium whoever he fought - but not more than once or twice.
Usyk is a genuinely excellent fighter, great amateur pedigree. Superb technician, good engine, high ring IQ. But I’m not convinced he punches hard enough to keep Joshua respectful.
I can see Usyk not being psyched out, I can see him making Joshua look a bit clumsy in the early rounds, I can see him trying to move Joshua around and tire him out …. but I do think that AJ is too big and too strong to not have some success himself. And whatever people say about Joshua the fighter, he has heart and he is a big puncher and a good finisher.
One hell of a 'default' fight and honestly see it even going in. Where is AJ off this turmoil and mental games with Fury? And we're assuming his sudden switch back to Hulk smash style v Usyk? Mentally I think these two have a bit of a gap. He'll have size all night but can see Usyk also walking him in to some sharpshooting on those big tree trunk legs. What happened the last time AJ went for the kill after hurting faster cleaner hands. Truth is even when boxing fooked itself...for once it landed on it's feet and we have a top tier match up! Good fight. Favor Joshua but wouldn't be shocked to see Usyk paint him moments at a time.
aj takes on another serious challenger. aj's size & power will ice oleksandr
Bellew had a fair bit of success with Usyk early on and Chisora gave him a tough, close fight that went the distance.
AJ should come in the same weight he did for the Ruiz rematch, you don't wanna be chasing Usyk around the ring all night carrying a shit load of muscle.
Bellew had alot of success with the jab so if AJ starts landing that early I think he'll stop Usyk by midway.
Be interesting to see how Usyk operates now he's bulked up a fair bit, could he bring enough extra power to trouble AJ...?
If Ruiz can do what he did to Joshua then Usyk surely has a chance ;)
Good matchup this one
On paper it seems all AJ.
Now I know the styles are different from this comparison, yet when it occurred it reminded me-anything is possible. Chrys Byrd over Tua. Yes I know Tua isnt a great boxer, but at the time few saw a former MW staying away from that power all night long.
It is possible for Usyk to use AJ's bulky frame against him. I just hope he doesn't try to run all night like Haye vs Klitschko.
6'6 82 inch reach
6'3 78 inch reach.
If boxrec is accurrate that isn't too big of a difference on reach.
According to CompuBox punch stats, Usyk is capable of throwing over 900
Joshua's last fight with Ruiz he threw just under 400.
The odds are against Usyk. But then again, we're talking a big guy whose equilibrium got the worst of him in his loss. Usyk Works on looping shots who knows.
Not sure how hard that shot was compared to what Usyk can do.
AJ is the favorite, but I wouldn't count Usyk out. Lots of lateral movement. Peppering with the jab. Make AJ extend his arms early on, see if he can get some fatigue going on. Highly unlikely he will land a shot to hurt AJ.
How well AJ can cut that ring off will determine IMO how far Usyk can last into the fight. If AJ is up on the score cards 1/2 way through hard to see Usyk winning.
I expect a pretty good chess matchup. No brawling fight.
In the old days the undisputed cruiserweight champion would earn his way to face the heavyweight champion by working his way through the division.
Holyfield beat Tillis (who was one of the few fighters that went the distance with Tyson), Pinklon Thomas, Dokes (fight of the year), Rodriguez, and Alex Stewart. All good, hard, learning fights which built vital experience of Evander and raised his profile in the heavyweight division.
Maybe the division is weaker than the late 1980’s and Usyk would have lost to these fighters. It would have been in his interest to acclimatise in the division and worked his way up. Usyk is a second division heavyweight with Ruiz and Parker and would have been better to have faced these fighters at this stage.
Usyk is definately taking the express route to the title! Nifty boxer, but hard to dispute what was just stated. he may have lost to them all.
Anthony Joshua vs Oleksandr Usyk: Winner must face me next, claims Trevor Bryan
Anthony Joshua has been called out by boxing rival Trevor Bryan after the American claimed the winner of Joshua's next world title fight against Oleksandr Usyk 'must face me as a mandatory'.
Joshua, 31, will defend his IBF, WBA (Super) and WBO world heavyweight titles against Usyk, 34, at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London on September 25.
'The Dream' Bryan, who is promoted by legendary boxing promoter Don King, has won all 21 of his pro fights to date with 15 knockouts and no defeats.
The unbeaten American, 31, inflicted a crushing knockout on Bermane Stiverne to claim the vacant WBA (Regular) belt at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Florida.
And now, Bryan has set his sights on facing the winner of Joshua and Usyk's super fight, as he wants to become the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world.
Speaking to World Boxing News, he said: “I am the “regular” WBA heavyweight champion. I’m ranked number one to defend against the “super” WBA heavyweight champion in Anthony Joshua.
“I’m so excited to be in a position to fight him.
“We know that Usyk is ranked number for the WBO heavyweight championship to face Anthony Joshua, but the winner of that fight must face me as a mandatory.”
Read more: Anthony Joshua vs Oleksandr Usyk: Tyson Fury's father gives his prediction
However, Joshua's promoter Eddie Hearn is hoping to set up a fight between Bryan and Dillian Whyte, with the pay-per-view event taking place in the United States.
“I wanna take Dillian Whyte to America for his next fight this summer," Hearn told iFL TV. "Give him some profile over there. Yes [to headline a show], it’s the only way.
"Go over, MSG, wherever it is, go and make a name over there and then I’d love to make the Wilder fight later in the year.
"There’s a good fight coming up with Jermaine Franklin and Stephan Shaw. The winner of that’s a good fight. Trevor Bryan is another option for the WBA ‘regular’.
“There’s plenty of options, I’d like it to be an American.”
Meanwhile, Tyson Fury is also expected to defend the WBC title in a trilogy fight with Deontay Wilder on October 9, with Bryan stating that he expects The Gypsy King to emerge victorious.
“Listen, I’m not sure if I consider the whole Tyson Fury situation a pull-out,” he added. “If the man caught Covid, then they reschedule the fight for another date and time.
"I believe Fury will win this third fight. Overall, Fury is a more technical fighter than Deontay Wilder – in my opinion.”
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/sport/boxi...cid=entnewsntp
https://www.the-sun.com/sport/333556...eontay-wilder/
Glad to know he is ok.
Anthony Joshua vs OIeksandr Usyk tickets to cost up to £2000 as Brit defends world titles
Fans wanting the best seats for Anthony Joshua's title defence against Oleksandr Usyk will have to pay an eye-watering £2,000 for the privilege.
The Brit will defend his unified heavyweight titles at the new Tottenham Hotspur Stadium against his mandatory challenger on September 25.
Joshua was pencilled in to face Tyson Fury on August 14 in Saudi Arabia, but an arbitration ruling forced Fury out of the bout in favour of a trilogy with Deontay Wilder.
But he will instead put his belts on the line against former undisputed cruiserweight ruler Usyk.
And tickets for Joshua's bout with Usyk will go on sale next Tuesday, or Monday for Matchroom Fight Pass members, and will be priced at £40, £60, £80, £100, £150, £200, £400, £600 and £2000 for VIPs.
“The date is set and we are fully locked in," said Joshua during an announcement video earlier this month.
"September 25, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, I put it all on the line again and it’s time to defend my crown. We are two Olympic Gold medallists who have fought our way to the top and never avoided challenges.
"The stadium is exceptional, the atmosphere will be electric, I’m honoured to be the first person to fight in such an awe inspiring venue. The stage is set and I am ready to handle business.”
Joshua is a heavy favourite to beat Usyk, despite the Ukrainian being considered one of the pound-for-pound best fighters in the world.
Both men are Olympic gold medalists from the 2012 London games, and Usyk was the undisputed cruiserweight champion after winning the World boxing Super Series and beating the likes of Mairis Briedis and Tony Bellew.
But since moving up to heavyweight, Usyk hasn't looked the world-beater he was at his peak, struggling to get past Derek Chisora in his latest outing last October.
Usyk was expected to face Joe Joyce in an interim title bout while Joshua faced Fury, but a title bout was ordered by the WBO immediately once that bout fell through.
Matchroom Boxing are expecting a capacity crowd to attend the event as the UK adjusts to life without coronavirus restrictions following the success of last week's reopening.
This will also be the first boxing event to take place on the new pitch at the North London stadium, with Spurs chairman Daniel Levy admitting that he is delighted to finally host a fight of this calibre after a long delay during the pandemic.
“This is a huge occasion for Tottenham Hotspur Stadium," Levy said ahead of hosting the contest.
" Anthony Joshua is an icon in the world of sport and to have him fight here in London N17, against a top opponent in Oleksandr Usyk, will be amazing for the area of Tottenham.
"This event will once again showcase the stadium’s ability to take the hosting of world-class sporting occasions to the next level – we cannot wait for September 25.”
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/sport/boxi...cid=entnewsntp
Anthony Joshua vs Oleksandr Usyk: Eddie Hearn wants Joshua to ‘destroy’ Ukrainian
Anthony Joshua and Oleksandr Usyk will be fighting each other at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in September and top promoter Eddie Hearn has been speaking about how he wants Joshua to come out on top on the night.
Usyk will be relishing the chance to cause an upset and take Joshua’s belts away from him, but it won’t be easy.
The Brit was due to be fighting Fury but will have to defeat Usyk first and this gives him more motivation to make sure he comes out on top.
Promoter Eddie Hearn has been huge in setting up this fight and it is clear he wants to pave the way for Joshua to become the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world.
The odds on the fight show that Anthony Joshua is the clear favourite, and this makes sense due to him holding most of the heavyweight belts.
The Brit facing the Ukranian means that he will have a lot of support, and Hearn has not kept quiet when discussing how he wants the fight to go.
Talking on radio station TalkSport about the fight, Hearn said: “AJ is still a student of the game and he wants to prove to people that he can beat people like Oleksandr Usyk, he can outskill him. That’s difficult, I don’t want to see him actually overcomplicate this fight.
“I want him to see him go in and destroy the guy!”
Not only has Hearn stated how much he wants Joshua to win, he also sounds pretty confident that Joshua can easily win the bout.
These words from the promoter will probably motivate Usyk as much as it will motivate Joshua as he will want to prove the doubters and critics wrong. Causing a big upset on Joshua’s home turf would be the most perfect way to do this.
With only a couple of months until the fight, expectation and excitement is building, with many hoping the fight will be a good spectacle.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/sport/boxi...cid=entnewsntp
Too true and also speaks to how different the division depth is. Can you imagine what that version of even Dokes could do today? Crazy thing is we don't really see the same climb the ranks requirements laid out for other divisions today. Guys are routinely guided into title fights when going to higher divisions and many times get a free pass bypassing contenders. All in the name of big name fights and handing trinket belts around but in this case it actually works out that from everything we've seen, this is actually a solid style mash up and one of the better division showdowns.
Master you forgot Seamus McDonagh off of Holyfield's Everest to the World Heavyweight title ;D
:mad: I smell home cooking :-X:-\;) Joshua doesn't have the best chin :-X:-X:lickish: This fight is risky for both ;):)
I think Joshua got this... :cool:
Joe Joyce has predicted that Anthony Joshua would be a harder fight for him than Oleksandr Usyk, and expects Joshua to win the clash in September.
The 'Juggernaut' secured his status as mandatory challenger for Joshua's current WBO heavyweight title with stoppage victory over Carlos Takam at the SSE Arena, Wembley last weekend.
And the British heavyweight believes that Joshua could pose a sterner test in a mandatory shot at the belts, but admits he still has 'respect' for the Ukrainian.
"I would be more surprised if Usyk beats Joshua than if Joshua beats Usyk,” Joyce told Ring Magazine.
"We will see, I’m sure the belts will shake loose, they won’t be able to keep all the belts because they’ll have mandatory challengers and I’ll be mandatory challenger if AJ beats Usyk.
"And he’ll have a choice whether to fight me or vacate but the best scenario is I fight Joshua for all the belts.
“Usyk’s a great fighter, a gold medalist, undisputed at cruiserweight and moved up to heavyweight and he’s got quite a resume.
"Ideally, I would have fought him while Joshua-Fury took place, but now Joshua is fighting Usyk, if he manages to win I’ll fight him again as a rematch.”
Joyce has regularly sparred with Joshua, and came close to emulating the Olympic gold medal achievement of 'AJ' when he fought to a silver medal at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games losing on a narrow split decision to Tony Yoka.
He has since gone on to claim the WBC Silver, WBO International and Commonwealth heavyweight titles, which he successfully defended with his victory over Takam.
And the 35-year-old has revealed he is 'not bothered' with criticism that came his way following his difficult start against Takam, labelling it as just 'talk'.
“I’m not too bothered, people can talk," Joyce continued.
"But until they’ve won an Olympic medal or won the belts I have in such a short amount of time, they can keep chatting whatever they want.
“He’s (Takam) a good fighter, experienced, he’s been in with the best and he comes to win but I wasn’t going to let that happen.
"I had plenty more in the tank to take him down but I saw the opportunity and I wasn’t going to stop throwing punches until they stopped it."
Joyce now looks set to jump the queue and gain a mandatory shot at the winner of Joshua vs Usyk, but the two-time world champion has promised to 'drop his belts' if required to gain a fight with domestic rival Tyson Fury.
This could then lead to Joyce being instated as WBO world champion, but in the meantime ahead of the shot he has been linked with the likes of Derek Chisora and Joseph Parker.
Tickets for the clash between Joshua and Usyk are set to cost up to £2000, as they go on sale this week to see the action at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/sport/olym...cid=entnewsntp
Anthony Joshua vs Oleksandr Usyk tickets sell out in 24 HOURS with 60,000 fans to descend on Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
ANTHONY JOSHUA'S heavyweight world title fight against Oleksandr Usyk has SOLD OUT within the first 24 hours of going on sale.
The 31-year-old defends his WBA, WBO and IBF belts against the unbeaten Ukrainian at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on September 25.
Olympic gold medallist Joshua was ordered by the WBO to fight Usyk, 34, after his undisputed title decider with Tyson Fury, 32, collapsed.
And despite supporters left disappointed that the match-up never materialised, fans have acted fast to get their hands on seeing AJ face the former cruiserweight king next month.
Matchroom have announced that tickets have been sold out within a day as 60,000 fans prepare to flock to England's capital.
It is the seventh venue that Joshua has sold out after the UK's Wembley Stadium, Principality Stadium, 02 Arena and Manchester Arena.
He even sold out Madison Square Garden for his trip to America, although lost his title against Andy Ruiz Jr in June 2019.
The Watford native then fought in front of a sold out capacity at Saudi Arabia's Diriyah Arena when he outpointed Ruiz to become a two-time world champion.
Joshua hasn't been in action since knocking out Bulgarian veteran Kubrat Pulev in December.
But he is looking in incredible shape for his dust-up against fellow Olympic champ Usyk.
AJ goes into the bout with a size advantage, with Usyk preparing for just his third fight in the heavyweight division.
Commenting on the duo, promoter Eddie Hearn told talkSPORT: “I think that Usyk will never be a fully fledged heavyweight – a real heavyweight in terms of size.
“But what he will always have is a huge amount of skill.
“It takes time for people to bed into heavyweight, so put it this way, it would’ve been a lot easier fight for AJ a year-and-a-half ago.
“Now Usyk has fought a real heavyweight contender in [Derek] Chisora, that will actually help him to start to understand what needs to be done.
“But AJ’s a different kind of beast. A good big guy will always beat a good small guy, so we’ll see.”
https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/15779...-out-24-hours/
Anthony Joshua vs Oleksandr Usyk: Joe Joyce previews the contest
Joe Joyce has given his views on the upcoming September 25th boxing contest between Anthony Joshua and Oleksandr Usyk.
Joyce believes that the IBF/WBA/WBO Heavyweight Champion Joshua will be too large and powerful for the 2012 Olympic gold medallist Usyk.
The WBO mandatory is unsure whether Usyk has had the requisite power and strength training to get him big enough to cause real damage to Joshua in just over a month.
Speaking to Boxing Social, Joyce outlined exactly why he sees the Brit walking out of Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with the win. He said: “I think he [Joshua] is too big and too strong for Usyk, but I’m not writing off Usyk because he’s so skilled, and he’s a great boxer too.
“I’ve got respect for both of them. He [Oleksandr] could cause an upset; he’s got the potential to, or nick the fight.
“We’ll see because he’s been working on his weight, so maybe his power might be his tactic. We’ll have to see what happens, but I’m edging for Joshua, obviously.
Joyce also discussed his contest with Usyk back in 2012, at the World Series of Boxing. “He was just levels above me, especially at that time and coming off a gold medal win in London,” Joyce stated.
“He’s such a skilled fighter. He had 350 amateur bouts or something like that with a high win ratio, and especially with the trainer [Anatoliy] Lomachenko.
“The work he does with both of them is unreal. They’re doing hands down clap press-ups and freaking whatever calculations, but it gets the job done, so it’s exciting.”
Joyce himself is planning to fight again in October, and he discussed his plans while he waits on the winner of Joshua vs Usyk. He said: “I don’t mind. I quite like to stay active and see what fights are out there,” said Joyce when he was asked about his WBO mandatory status.
“I’m thinking about getting out there in October again, but obviously, I’m the WBO mandatory.
“Not to take that lightly, so we’ll see what’s on the opponent’s list and what’s on the agenda and look forward to watching me out there again."
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/sport/boxi...cid=entnewsntp
I hope usyk manages to win this, he's wonderfully talented and smart but his performance v chisora was quite worrying... Chisora is indeed a big lump who must be a nightmare to fight but despite the skill difference usyk looked pretty over matched size wise and looked pretty uncomfortable a few too many times for me to think a better big man than chisora won't beat him... Usyk has great movement and intelligence to take advantage of Joshua but I think the size will take the life out of usyk and Joshua will just beat him down..usyk doesn't have the power and explosiveness of Haye to cause an upset I think... Joshua is just too big and good enough to win this.
Good work from usyk for going for this fight too, I'm sure he could have stayed at cruiser weight and racked up some easy fairly good pay days there but he beat them all and he might as well end his career going for the big prize.
Anthony Joshua hints he will weigh in lighter for Oleksandr Usyk fight.
Joshua has revealed that he is 'looking to trim' ahead of his showdown with Usyk, labelling his world title defence as 'a fight for the brain'
Anthony Joshua has revealed that he is 'looking trim' ahead of his world title clash with Oleksandr Usyk next month.
The British heavyweight will defend his unified world titles against the dangerous Ukrainian, and he will return to the ring for the first time since his stoppage victory over Kubrat Pulev last December.
Joshua had been planning to fight domestic rival and fellow champion Tyson Fury, but talks broke down after Deontay Wilder enforced a trilogy bout with Fury as a result of a contract dispute.
Joshua however is focused on the task at hand and offered an insight into his tactics.
"I'm looking trim for this fight. I'm fighting a guy who is a 12-round fighter. So it would be silly of me to go in there bulky with my muscles screaming for oxygen," he told Sky Sports.
"I've been training like a 15-round fighter in this camp. I will be well-conditioned to fight. That is key. What happens when I train that way? My body adapts and takes its natural form. This is the form it has taken."
"Movement means you are never stationery to get hit. Movement is important. Concentration - when you want to [punch], you lock in, then make a move. You have to make sure your brain works. That can be mentally fatiguing so I am sharpening the mind so that I can concentrate for the 12 rounds.
"Also I practice having the ability to [punch] four times, not just once. It's a fight for the brain. Knowing what you've got in front of you and knowing how to deal with it.
"You can either be aggressive, corner [him], throw everything at it. Or take your time, be clever, then knock [him] out."
Usyk's size has been questioned at the higher weight and power in the blue-ribbon division, despite his superb undefeated record as an undisputed cruiserweight champion before moving up to heavyweight.
And Joshua's power and size will be something that he has not yet encountered, already having slight issues with the aggression and frame of Derek Chisora in his unanimous decision victory back in October last year.
Former British cruiserweight David Haye has revealed that he also believes Joshua will use his 'power and size' to record a 'devastating' victory over Usyk in front of a capacity home crowd at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
“If Joshua decides to have a tit-for-tat boxing match in just jabbing and scoring points, then he could have some trouble, but he’s not stupid enough to do that," Haye said.
“He’s just going to use his beautiful jab, and his height & reach advantage, size, and weight advantage, his punch power advantage, and his physical advantage and advantage to receive punches from big heavyweights.
“He’s [Joshua] just better all-around [than Usyk]. It’s just going to be pretty devastating. I’ve seen it in my head. I’ve said it a couple of times before."
Joshua defends his belts on September 25, but has previously revealed he would be willing to 'ditch the belts' in order to secure a domestic dust-up with Fury in the future.
His opponent has also been compared to Muhammad Ali by his promoter Alexander Krassyuk in the build-up to the event, and Krassyuk believes that his 'movement' will cause 'AJ' problems on the night.
https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/boxin...ghter-24825596
A great fight for my boy AJ. We don't have to worry about any great power folding his Chin. Just wear your running Trainers, catch him and lay him out, face down arse cheeks up (Pacquiao "He not gettin up Jim" style)
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/0a/ca...6b96ad5e83.jpg
AJ has every advantage known to man.
- Size.
- Age.
- Pay.
- Location
- Rematch clause.
- Confidentiality clause.
- UKAD watching his back
I say what I see and I don't really rate Uysk very highly but I cannot deny his credentials 'Olympic Champion, Unbeaten and Undisputed Cruiser weight Champion.
Usyk has shown to me that he's not capable of beating a heavyweight better than Hughie Fury in fact make Hughie Fury vs Usyk is a 50/50 fight. The only way to beat cashcows like AJ or Canelo is to stop them or totally school them and Usyk isn't doing either.
Honestly I see AJ destroying him and it won't go past 3 rounds
Anthony Joshua vs Oleksandr Usyk undercard announced as Callum Smith returns
Joshua takes on Usyk on September 25, and a stacked undercard has been announced featuring the return of Callum Smith, Lawrence Okolie defending his cruiserweight world title and fan-favourite welterweight Florian Marku
The undercard for Anthony Joshua's box-office clash with Oleksandr Usyk wil feature the return of Callum Smith and cruiserweight world champion Lawrence Okolie.
Joshua will defend his unified world titles against Usyk who steps up to the blue-ribbon division for the third time since becoming undisputed cruiserweight champion.
Smith has been out of action since his unanimous decision defeat to pound-for-pound king Canelo Alvarez, and will now step up to light-heavyweight against Lenin Castillo on September 25.
Recently-crowned cruiserweight champion Okolie also makes his ring return following a crushing stoppage victory over Krzystof Glowacki, when he takes on undefeated Dilan Prasovic in a mandatory defence.
Sky Sports' Adam Smith has previewed the night of action labelling it "exciting" ahead of a Matchroom Boxing show's return to the popular outlet in the UK after Eddie Hearn secured a broadcasting switch to DAZN.
"Joshua vs. Usyk will be an unmissable evening of action, with Lawrence Okolie, Callum Smith and Campbell Hatton all featuring on a bumper bill at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, live on Sky Sports Box Office," Smith said.
"We've followed Lawrence Okolie's career since the start and he'll be determined to light up north London with an explosive defence of his WBO Cruiserweight belt.
"Callum Smith is on a collision course with new World Title rivals, having joined the Light-Heavyweight division, and Campbell Hatton continues his journey up the pro ranks with the help of Matthew and Ricky Hatton.
"AJ and Usyk then take centre stage as two Olympic gold medallists collide in the capital, in a hugely important World Heavyweight Title clash!"
At the top of the bill, Joshua was previously set to face domestic rival Tyson Fury this year in an undisputed clash, but he has been forced into taking his WBO mandatory defence after the 'Gypsy King' was forced to withdraw from the planned contest and take on Deontay Wilder in a trilogy bout.
And the British heavyweight has revealed that he is "looking to trim" and come into the contest lighter in a "fight for the brain" against the tricky Ukrainian.
"I'm looking trim for this fight. I'm fighting a guy who is a 12-round fighter. So it would be silly of me to go in there bulky with my muscles screaming for oxygen," he told Sky Sports.
"I've been training like a 15-round fighter in this camp. I will be well-conditioned to fight. That is key. What happens when I train that way? My body adapts and takes its natural form. This is the form it has taken.
"Also I practice having the ability to [punch] four times, not just once. It's a fight for the brain. Knowing what you've got in front of you and knowing how to deal with it.
"You can either be aggressive, corner [him], throw everything at it. Or take your time, be clever, then knock [him] out."
Later on the card, young star Campbell Hatton is set to feature as he takes on his fourth professional fight, while powerful welterweight and crowd-pleaser Florian Marku makes his return in a rescheduled bout against Maxim Prodan.
https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/boxin...-usyk-24836932
This undercard is a fucking piss take, WTF is Campbell Hatton even doing on it and Okolie fighting a guy who's not even top 25 ranked.
Should have had Dillian Whyte & Conor Benn on this undercard.
It's not even available on DAZN in the UK either only on Sky PPV for £24.99
Not that i've paid for a PPV fight in years but Hearns taking the piss bigtime here.
The usual Stub Hub ticket resales were (as usual with Matchroom) at about 3 times face value too.
Why bother to get this in the most state of the art stadium in Europe and offer such a shit card.
The main even will be a cool but the rest of the card doesn't interest me at all.
Usyk is an X factor considering Witherspoon wasn't the best tuneup for a Top notch HW. But then again- these are the fights that sets the tone for an unknown's career. Unknown in his ability to beat a top tier HW let alone a solid champ. SO I am not counting him out.
In fact I remember Holy the cruiser destroyer was constantly berated as too small, not enough power, not fast enough to evade...and look what he went on to do!
This is EXACTLY where Usyk is.
It is not for us to give him the benefit of the doubt- it is for him to be the Holyfield of this era & proves He belongs. In fact I would be ok if he put on a Holy/Bowe I performance and gains respect in a hell fought losing battle.
SHAPE OF HIS LIFE Anthony Joshua ready for all out war against Oleksandr Usyk after signing new career deal with Eddie Hearn
ANTHONY JOSHUA shows he is in shape for Oleksandr Usyk after announcing a deal for life with Eddie Hearn.
Saturday’s WBA, IBF and WBO defence against Usyk was scheduled to be the last in AJ’s current contract with Hearn but the 31-year-old superstar has penned a final “career long” deal with the Matchroom stable.
AJ stepped into the ring at Tuesday's public work-out at O2’s Indigo where Usyk entertained the crowd with a masterclass of juggling.
The Brit says he respects Usyk but warned the Ukrainian the fight at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium is all-out war.
Joshua said: “I feel strong and good. I’m mentally and physically conditioned so I should be able to handle the pressure.
"I feel like I have nothing if I don’t win this. It would not be the end of the road but I see getting a win here just the beginning.
“There is no strategy apart from winning. I will hurt someone or beat them until I get the win.
“Boxing needs this fight and the big fights, we have been Saudi and America but when I turned pro I wanted to get British boxing respected.
“Unless you were in America you were not respected but we have credibility now on these shores.
“We respected each other after the fight. I have met him before, in Saudi, with all due respect we are ambassadors for the sport but this is fighting, a warrior sport.
“When I watch the Durans and Haglers, we are going to war, a great fighter has a certain instinct, this is war.”
Unified heavyweight world champ Joshua turned professional with Hearn back in 2013 and stated he was delighted to remain in partnership as he plots his path towards the last remaining WBC crown - held by Tyson Fury.
Joshua said: “We’ve built some great foundations over the years and I appreciate Matchroom – the company, the team, the family business.
“What Matchroom Sport have done is created an environment for boxing fans. The shows that we have managed to put on have been phenomenal. When I walk out to fight, I look around and I’m like ‘mate, this is unbelievable’.
“From where we began, to the middle of the journey, the foundations we have created are phenomenal and I can’t wait to see what the future holds.
"I have heard that my signature was hot property. A handshake is good enough for me, but the signature solidifies it and I’m happy where my signature is.”
https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/16205...t-eddie-hearn/
Maybe it's the scarcity of big fights actually coming off lately but really warmed to this one. Was on the fence but leaning Usyk. At times everything about AJ says 'wound too tight' to me and a guy with the mental..slightly off.. make up of Usyk can find the holes and have the speed mobility and ring intelligence to exploit them. Also interested in AJ playing aggressor or trying to box a bit. Early on AJ the imposer, punch threat and can even see Usyk rattled but honestly I think the whole 'he's too small' is a tad played out. Either way like it a lot.
Yeah this is simmering up nicely. It's taken a while to come out of the AJ Fury shadows, but now that the dust has settled and everyone has had time to reboot, it's as good as it gets, a really top quality fight.
I't hard to see past a Joshua win, he holds so many aces. Size, Strength, power. Usyk is the better pure boxer and better thinker but Joshua is way better than anything Usyk has faced before. The problem for Usyk is that everyone who has had success against Joshua has done so with power, they've met fire with fire. Big powerful hookers and in Wlad's case the dynamite right hand. I'm not sure Usyk has the single punch to hurt Joshua enough.
He will no doubt find a home for the left cross as a counter or lead punch, but then he did against an amateur Joe Joyce almost at will and that wasn't the blow out some people would have you believe. Joshua will be hitting him harder, faster and more often than anyone else.
I'd have agreed with all the above Pre Ruiz, I think AJ is in a proper 50/50 fight here.
If Usyk can ride the storm and get this past halfway i can see Josh burning out and being done on points or even stopped late on.
Very interesting fight and Usyks footwork could be the key here.
Josh can get him out of there fairly early if he can catch him cold but if he can't he's in for a long hard fight.
Great matchup. My initial thoughts were "good big man beats little man" but the more I rewatch Usyk the more I convinced myself his lack of power/size isn't the disadvantage I thought. I think he can hurt AJ enough to make him hesitate. Joshua's blasts are going to outscore Usyk's "pitter patter," however, at 12/1 Usyk rds 7-12 is my bet (plus draw). AJ disputed PTS victory most likely. If AJ irons him he deserves serious credit.
The Ring picks are in.
Didn't expect it to be so heavily in favour of AJ
https://www.ringtv.com/627231-fight-...leksandr-usyk/
This fight similar to Lennox lewis vs Zeijko Mavrovic in terms of size difference
aj can't fight scared against the smaller man