By Charles Brun: Bob Arum predicts Anthony Joshua will LOSE the rematch with Oleksandr Usyk if he goes ahead with his and his promoter Eddie Hearn’s ideal of steaming straight ahead into the second fight. Joshua is doomed to another defeat, predicts Arum.
The Top Rank promoter Arum wants to save Joshua from a second straight defeat by having his fighter Tyson Fury face Usyk next.
Arum believes that Joshua’s decision to attempt to avenge his loss to Usyk (19-0, 13 KOs) from last Saturday is based on emotion, and that’s not how you make fights. Hearn isn’t helping things with his enormous ego, says Arum.
Hearn believes Joshua (24-2, 22 KOs) can retool his game to come back and defeat Usyk by fighting more aggressively as he did in the past.
The combination of Hearn’s oversized ego and Joshua’s emotional reaction to his defeat will ultimately lead to a second loss to Usyk in early 2022, says Arum.
Joshua & Hearn’s single-minded need for revenge has created a witches brew of sorts, leading them to disaster. Arum wants to help Joshua and Hearn by having the giant Tyson Fury take care of their problem with Usyk.
Arum expects Hearn to reject Joshua step aside
“Eddie Hearn being Eddie Hearn, who is all ego, won’t listen to something that makes sense,” said Bob Arum to iFL TV on him, believing Hearn won’t agree to let Joshua step aside so that Fury can face Usyk next.
“He [Hearn] will push, which he can legally, the rematch with Usyk, and that will be an additional defeat on Joshua’s record and prevent him from what I think will be a massive fight against the unified champion.
“Usyk fights Tyson Fury or [Deontay] Wilder and then fights the winner. Then we’re into something that the public can make sense of,” Arum said.
Yeah, it’s safe to say that Hearn will reject the idea of Joshua stepping aside so that Fury can fight Usyk next rather than AJ.
Hearn wants Joshua to erase the defeat to Usyk in the same way he did against Andy Ruiz Jr and believes that he can. You can argue that Hearn is too close to the situation to see things clearly.
If Hearn didn’t promote Joshua, he might see the logic of having Fury face Usyk instead of AJ. But with Joshua promoted by Hearn, he’s arguably blinded by emotions and doesn’t see it logically the way Arum does.
Fury’s size will give Usyk problems
“I think everybody would agree that Tyson Fury is a much better boxer than Anthony Joshua,” said Arum. “It would be an even bigger size differential between Tyson Fury and Usyk.
“But trust me, you can never count out the Ukrainian. He is a very, very clever boxer and one of the best boxers we’ve seen in recent times. Of the whole crop of heavyweights, Usyk probably has the most pure talent.
“All eyes are going to be on [October 9th trilogy match between] Tyson Fury and Wilder. The winner of that fight will be accepted as the legitimate heavyweight champion, particularly should Joshua go right into an Usyk rematch, which I think is the WRONG move for him.
“He [Joshua] doesn’t have as much value as he brought before [for a fight against Fury], but because they’re two Brits and everybody has been talking about it, particularly in the UK,” said Arum.
The grizzly bear-like Fury would give Usyk MASSIVE problems with his size and his tendency to hold and rough up his opponents.
Usyk would be fine as long as he can keep out of Fury’s clutches, but if he gets grabbed by him, it’s going to be like glue for the Ukrainian to try and pry him off.
Tyson must beat Wilder next
“Joshua against Fury, should Fury beat Wilder and then beat Usyk, would still be a huge, huge fight,” said Arum.
“Certainly, I’d talk to them,” said Arum when asked if he would look to negotiate a fight between Fury and Usyk if Oleksandr beats Joshua in a rematch in early 2022. “They’ll have an agenda for Usyk that they’ll follow.
“I would be certainly optimistic that a fight between Tyson Fury and Usyk could be made, but right now, I’m concentrating on getting Fury through Wilder.
“That’s not going to be an easy fight because Wilder, after experiencing that tremendous loss, is going to be a very dangerous opponent for Fury on October 9th,” Arum said.
Arum shouldn’t count his chicks before they hatch by assuming that Fury will beat Deontay Wilder on October 9th. With the changes Wilder (42-1-1, 41 KOs) has made to his training, there’s an excellent chance that he beats Fury.
Last year’s victory for Fury has done something to him, as he’s surrounded himself with back slappers, who have been blowing smoke up his backside night and day.
With adoration and money, Fury has transformed himself into a bon vivant, a fop, and has lost the warrior edge he once had, according to some boxing fans.
