Who will win the upcoming heavyweight championship contest between Anthony Joshua and Oleksandr Usyk?
Coming up on September 25, Anthony Joshua will put his unified IBF/WBA/WBO heavyweight world championship on the line against the undefeated #1 ranked heavyweight contender according to the WBO, Oleksandr Usyk.
The big question going into this one is whether or not Usyk has the size and strength to be successful at heavyweight. Usyk is undefeated and is the former undisputed cruiserweight world champion, having successfully unified all four major alphabet belts of today – the WBO, WBC, WBA, and IBF. Usyk is one of just five boxers to have ever unified all 4 belts of this day in any weight class.
Generally speaking, cruiserweight champions testing their luck at heavyweight have tended to fall short. The only former cruiserweight world champion who had celebrated prolonged success against elite level heavyweights was Evander ‘Real Deal’ Holyfield. So the odds would seem to be against Usyk here, although it is worth noting that Usyk is the only undisputed cruiserweight champion we have had since Evander. In that light, perhaps Usyk’s odds are better than any cruiserweight champion we’ve seen test his luck at heavyweight following Holyfield’s cruiserweight reign.
Joshua has bounced back since losing his championship against Ruiz in June 2019. He has fought two times since. He beat Ruiz Jr in an immediate rematch to reclaim his championship in December 2019, and last December he successfully defended against Kubrat Pulev. That one blemish aside against Ruiz, AJ is putting together a quality heavyweight career where he is now in the midst of potentially building a legacy for himself. More importantly, he avenged his only loss, and it appears that Joshua has learned from the mistakes he made against Ruiz Jr and is now boxing with greater discipline and intelligence inside the squared circle.
Who will win the upcoming heavyweight championship contest between Anthony Joshua and Oleksandr Usyk?
This edition of Rummy’s Corner will attempt to answer that question, while also providing a quick preview of the fight as we recall the events that led to this crucial moment in heavyweight history. For one man’s opinion and prediction, please watch and enjoy the video.