By Charles Brun: Anthony Joshua believes that he would have beaten Oleksandr Usyk “100%” if he weren’t a southpaw last September.
Joshua (24-2, 22 KOs) says he must make adjustments when he fights southpaws because they’re a “nightmare” for him.
It’s unclear why Joshua is choosing to openly reveal his problems with lefties now the week of the fight. Could it be that Joshua wants the boxing public to go easy on him should he lose the rematch? It sure seems like it.
The only reason Joshua would choose to admit that he struggles against southpaws now is to have the fans give him a break if he loses.
“I need adjustments to deal with a southpaw because to me, these lefties are a nightmare. I swear if Oleksandr weren’t a lefty, I would have smoked him, 100%,” said Anthony Joshua to the Dailymail.
“He’s an anomaly. He’s the most difficult man to face in boxing right now that’s active,” said Tony Bellew to DAZN Boxing Show about Oleksandr Usyk. “Yeah, probably,” said Bellew when asked if Usyk is pound-for-pound #1.
“He’s just so hard to figure out. If you haven’t figured him out by six rounds, it’s very, very difficult. You literally got to go in there with a seek & destroy mission.
“You can’t just go all guns blazing straightaway because if it was that easy, people would have done it in the past. You’ve got to break him down slowly and hurt the body.
“There are so many different things that you got to do, and you’ve got to be consistent with it. Can Anthony do it? Yes, he can. He has all the ability and all the physical attributes to do it.
“But can he unlock it up here to get it again to get the job done? Make no mistake, regardless of who the trainer is in the corner, the fighter is going to do what he needs to do.
“He’s going to revert to type. When someone punches you in the face, you don’t think, ‘What did he tell me to do?’ No, you react, you respond.
“You can train with a certain style with a certain coach, and that’s great in camp. But when you get in the ring on the night, you’re going to do what you are prepared to do. He’s prepared for a big fight, and that’s what he needs to do,” said Bellew about Joshua.
