By Charles Brun: Anthony Joshua says his next opponent, former undisputed cruiserweight champion Oleksandr Usyk is just as good as Tyson Fury, and he’s taking him very seriously for their fight on September 25th at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Some would argue that Usyk is even better than Fury, particularly at this point in the Gypsy King’s career.
The only solid win on Fury’s resume came against Deontay Wilder last year, and he didn’t look talented in that fight.
Take away the fouling Fury was doing; he looked nowhere near as talented as Usyk, who has amazing boxing skills. The only thing that Fury has is size, and that won’t carry him far against Joshua.
Joshua vs. Usyk will be shown live on DAZN in the U.S and on Sky Box Office PPV in the UK.
Usyk (18-0, 13 KOs) may even be better than WBC heavyweight champion Fury at this point, as he’s been out of the ring for almost two years. Who knows what the 32-year-old Fury has left at this point.
Usyk is a different breed of a fighter than Fury. The 2012 Olympic gold medalist Usyk comes from Ukraine, and he has that blue-collar attitude about him.
The talented Usyk has not been changed by the money he’s made in the sport, but obviously, he’s not made the green that Fury has.
If Usyk had a $30 million pot of gold sitting in the bank like Fury, perhaps he would be slacking. However, Charles Brun believes Usyk wouldn’t be changed because his mindset is different from Fury’s.
Usyk is just as good as Fury, says Joshua
“I’ve got another challenger who’s good, just as good [as Fury],” said Joshua to Sky Sports about Oleksandr Usyk being as good as Fury.
“He will definitely step up; he will definitely take the fight. That’s what I need – people that are serious,” said AJ in what appeared to be a shot at Fury.
“Once I fight Usyk, who knows what will happen next? Will I fight Fury, Wilder, Dillian Whyte, Andy Ruiz, Luis Ortiz? Who knows.
“It’s about the belts, not the person. I want to fight for legacy,” said Joshua.
According to AJ’s promoter Eddie Hearn, whoever emerges as the winner of the Wilder vs. Fury 3 fight, Joshua will be fighting that guy in February of 2022.
If Joshua wins that fight against the Wilder-Fury III winner, he needs to take on these fighters to build his legacy:
- Dillian Whyte
- Felip Hrgovic
- Luis Ortiz
- Joe Joyce
- Daniel Dubois
- Frank Sanchez
- Tony Yoka
Sadly, these are the only decent heavyweights around right now once you exclude Fury and Wilder. But if Joshua sticks around for another five to eight years, some younger heavyweights will emerge for him to fight.
AJ shouldn’t get too hung up on titles because it’s going to trap him and weigh him down, forcing him to fight lesser opposition that will do nothing for his legacy.
If Joshua wants to become one of the greats and have a lasting legacy, he needs to vacate most of his titles if he’s successful at becoming the undisputed heavyweight champion.
As long as Joshua has one title, he’ll be viewed as the champion. Joshua can then fight the quality fighters that will give him a lasting legacy, and that’s what he wants.
Getting stuck having to fight guys like 40-year-old Kubrat Pulev will not help become great.
Will inactivity hurt Fury’s career?
Whatever talent that Fury once had, the inactivity over the last year has likely degraded that.
Moreover, the money that Fury made last year in his rematch with Deontay Wilder swelled his bank account, making him a wealthy man.
The combination of inactivity, eating well, and becoming a wealthy millionaire may have affected Fury in the same way it did Andy Ruiz Jr.
Becoming rich beyond one’s dreams overnight has a way of changing things for a boxer, and Fury might be no different.