Anthony Joshua is picking IBF/WBA/WBO heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk to defeat WBC champ Tyson Fury in their fight next month on May 18th in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Fury has had extra time to trim off weight for the fight due to the cut he received sparring, but Joshua doesn’t see that affecting the outcome. Usyk will be too good for Fury.
Joshua’s Experience with Usyk
Joshua doesn’t go into detail as to why he’s picking Usyk (21-0, 14 KOs) to win, other than the fact that he’s fought the former undisputed cruiserweight champion and 2012 Olympic gold medalist and seen for himself the talent he possesses.
Joshua is 100% right, of course. Without the judges saving Fury again like they did in his last fight against Francis Ngannou with their controversial scoring, he’s pretty much doomed. He’s heading for a good hiding on May 18th, and that’s if he doesn’t pull out again with another mysterious cut or some other ailment.
It’s been three years since Fury fought a decent opponent in his maul-filled stoppage win over Deontay Wilder in 2021, and he looked terrible in that fight, hitting the deck twice. Many boxing fans believe the referee saved Fury from a knockout with a slow count in the fourth round.
Since that fight, Fury has just three times against these lower-level fighters:
– Francis Ngannou: Newbie
– Dereck Chisora: Journeyman
– Dillian Whyte: Same as above
Fury’s Fading Fire?
I don’t think it takes a genius to see that Fury (34-0-1, 24 KOs) no longer has the fire in him that he once did nine years ago when he defeated Wladimir Klitschko in 2015, and he’s just basically hanging around for the money that the Saudis are paying him by the truckload.
“[He’s a] phenomenal fighter, I would say he’s going to do a really good job,” said Anthony Joshua to talkSPORT Boxing, picking IBF/WBA/WBO heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk to defeat WBC belt-holder Tyson Fury on May 18th. “I have to say Usyk will be victorious.”
I don’t think Fury was ever talented enough to defeat a guy like Usyk, and he’ll be completely out of his depth on May 18th, when he receives a schooling from the talented Ukrainian.
We observed in Fury’s last fight against Francis Ngannou that he no longer has anything left, and he’s at fighting like an old veteran. Fury is slow and lethargic, with no power on his weak shots. He is just looking to grab, maul, or throw an odd elbow or rabbit punch here and there.