By Scott Gilfoid: Tony Bellew says former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua will be feeling like it’s him taking on the world because he’s being written off by boxing fans heading into his rematch with Oleksandr Usyk next March.
Bellew says Joshua (24-2, 22 KOs) is angry that fans see him heading towards another loss to Usyk (19-0, 13 KOs), and he wants to prove everyone wrong.
Many fans think Joshua and his promoter Eddie Hearn are throwing caution to the wind by stumbling into the reach with Usyk in a foolhardy way.
Joshua is assuming that he’ll avenge his loss to Usyk in the same way he did against Andy Ruiz Jr. in December 2019, and it could be disastrous for him.
Is AJ on the verge of sinking his career?
Losing again to Usyk, possibly by knockout, would put Joshua in a position where he might have to hang up his gloves.
In the aftermath of a second loss to Usyk, Hearn will be seen by many as the scapegoat for placating Joshua rather than refusing to let him steer his career into the rocks.
Joshua’s career will effectively implode after a second loss to Usyk, and there won’t be a thing Hearn can say or do that will change that. AJ will be reaching the crush depth for his career in absorbing a third defeat in his last five fights, and there’s no coming back from that.
“He’ll [Anthony Joshua] be feeling like the world’s against him,” Tony Bellew said to the DAZN Boxing Show on AJ’s rematch with Oleksander Usyk.
“What will be riling him the most is everyone writing him off, and he’s going to want to prove them wrong,” said Bellew.
Joshua can be riled all he wants, but it’s not going to help him when he gets inside the ring with Usyk. What does Joshua expect the boxing world to think of him? After the way Usyk took Joshua to school, why on earth would fans be thinking he’s got any chance of avenging his loss.
They just think Joshua has lost the plot, and his promoter Hearn is willing to gamble along with him. Gilfoid hates to say it, but it’s going to be bad after Joshua gets beaten a second time. At that point, it’ll be impossible to rebuild Joshua because mentally, he’ll be shot to pieces.
Rebuilding AJ will be impossible
Heck, even if Hearn brings Joshua back to the lower-level fodder opposition like Alen Babic and Dave Allen, he’d probably lose to both. Those guys like will be looking to finish off Joshua with headshots, and at that point, he really will have to retire.
“You’ve got coaches all around the world posting pictures; let the boy do what he’s doing,” said Bellew about Joshua hunting for a new trainer. “It’s his decision; it’s his career, he’s a man, he can take all this on board.
“People forget he’s the one taking the punches; he has to make the decisions; it’s not down to anybody else,” said Bellew on Joshua.