By Scott Gilfoid: Oleksandr Usyk (18-0, 13 KOs) is in the position to make some people unhappy by beating heavy favorite Anthony Joshua this Saturday night.
Promoter Eddie Hearn is on cloud nine right now, as he’s overjoyed at getting Joshua to sign a career-long contract extension with his Matchroom company on Tuesday. But Usyk can put a damper on Hearn’s joy by destroying Joshua out on Saturday in the same fashion that Andy Ruiz Jr. did in 2019.
Some view Usyk as the token victim for IBF/WBA/WBO heavyweight Joshua (24-1, 22 KOs) to take apart in front of many pro-AJ fans at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London.
The crafty 2012 Olympic gold medalist Usyk could have a few tricks hidden up his sleeves that he will reveal on Saturday, and it could end badly for Joshua.
We haven’t seen Joshua lose for a couple of years, so maybe he’s a little overdue for another loss. The talented Ukrainian Usyk knows how to beat Joshua because he’s beaten big lugs before, and in this case, he’s got the perfect one to go after because of his stamina issues.
Joshua seems to be following the Klitschko blueprint to the letter, and that’s a style that Usyk knows too well.
Usyk has a good chance
“You’ve got to give him a very good chance,” said Gareth Davies to iFL TV on whether Oleksandr Usyk has a shot at beating Joshua. “I see Joshua as the clear favorite, but Usyk is very tricky.
“He’s a southpaw, which could give Anthony Joshua problems. And he’s never been beaten as a professional, and he has vast experience. He’s a smaller man, and he may even have faster hand speed as well.
“It’s a matter of whether he can catch Joshua because I think Joshua will pressure him in this fight. I think Usyk will take the outside ropes, outside of the ring, and I think Joshua need not follow him but put him under pressure because I don’t believe Usyk should be there at the end.
“I can’t see a 12 round decision for Joshua, but you just never know,” said Davies. “Usyk may not be able to get in the fight, and he may have little bursts. It’s a serious opponent. He’s undefeated, so you’ve got to take him seriously.
“And he’s an Olympic champion, and he’s got an amazing pedigree behind him. He’s fought the big guys before against the likes of Joe Joyce and some of the others. He’s looked a little bit shaky in his heavyweight career, but this is his massive opportunity,” said Davies on Usyk.
Of course, Joshua can lose this fight. I mean, come on, we’ve already see Joshua lose to the blimp Andy Ruiz Jr., and he probably would have lost the rematch if Ruiz didn’t eat himself into a state of obesity after beating AJ n the first fight.
Usyk has a heck of a chance of winning this fight on Saturday, and he could knock Joshua out the way Ruiz Jr did. I’m just wondering what Joshua will do if he loses.
Does AJ stubbornly push for a rematch with Usyk, or will he be smart and go in another direction?
Joshua has vulnerabilities
“I’ve caught up to Joshua a couple of times during the build-up, and he’s taking this very, very seriously,” said Davies. “There’s enough danger to where Usyk can win this fight.
“I don’t think he will, and I don’t think he should because Joshua is good enough. I think he showed he’s good enough in his last couple of performances, but he’s always got vulnerabilities.
“The cogs are always moving with him, and you can sometimes see them. It’s all about momentum for him in this fight, but fascinating fight in many ways. I cannot wait.
“Boxing’s needed a big stadium fight. When you look at all the legends fighting at the moment and YouTubers. Boxing needs a grandstand event, it needs it, and this is it.
“It really, really needs it because we’ve been constantly debating where the perimeters and boundaries whether some of these other fight nights sit.
“This is one of the big ones. It’s a proper thoroughbred boxing one,” said Davies on the Joshua vs. Usyk fight.
We’ve seen Joshua’s vulnerabilities repeatedly over the years, so it’s earth-shattering news that Usyk could beat him on Saturday night. Joshua is vulnerable in the same way Wladimir Klitschko used to be.
The chin and stamina will always place Joshua in danger of getting beaten by ANY heavyweight in the division. Yeah, Joshua can beat the old guys like 40-year-0ld Kubrat Pulev, but he’s at risk against fighters like Usyk, Deontay Wilder, Tyson Fury, and Filip Hrgovic.
