Anthony Joshua should step aside and let Tyson Fury take the fight with Oleksandr Usyk next says promoter Frank Warren. Unfortunately, Joshua has made up his mind and already triggered his rematch clause for a second fight with the 2012 Olympic gold medalist Usyk.
He doesn’t think it’s a good idea for the former IBF/WBA/WBO heavyweight champion Joshua (24-2, 22 KOs) to face Usyk right away after the way he was beaten by him last month on September 25th.
Warren feels that if Joshua, 31, goes through with his plans for an immediate rematch with the undefeated Usyk (19-0, 13 KOs), he’ll lose for a second time.
Joshua should step aside
Warren wants Joshua to allow WBC champion Tyson Fury to face Usyk next for the undisputed championship, and AJ can then face the winner after he takes a warm-up fight.
Having Fury (31-0-1, 22 KOs) takes care of Usyk is considered insurance to some fans, as it increases the chances that Joshua and ‘The Gypsy King’ will meet up for a mega-fight with all four titles on the line.
It’s unclear whether Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn made an attempt to dissuade him from his idea of steaming straight into an immediate rematch with Usyk.
Joshua is a tad bit headstrong, and perhaps Hearn knew better than to waste time and energy in trying to talk him out of his desire for an immediate rematch.
“He shouldn’t be going through with it,” Frank Warren said to Sky Sports about Joshua taking an immediate rematch with Usyk.
“Let AJ get a warm-up fight. He needs a winning mentality before he goes into [a rematch with Usyk].
Warren said about Fury vs Usyk: “They have similar skills. Tyson wouldn’t fight him like AJ did. Tyson would use his physical attributes, his size and reach, and would win the fight.”
One likely reason Joshua thinks he’ll be successful against Usyk in their rematch is that AJ avenged his loss to Andy Ruiz Jr. two years ago.
After losing to Ruiz by a seventh round knockout in their first fight, Joshua made the needed adjustments to his game to easily defeat the American in the rematch.
With that said, Ruiz made it easy for Joshua by turning into a 283-lb blimp and not training as hard as he should have before the rematch.
AJ will lose again
“I think Usyk will beat him again,” said Warren. “If there had been another 20 seconds, Usyk would have stopped AJ. Next time around he will fancy knocking AJ over. I can’t see AJ winning that rematch.”
I can’t see Joshua winning the rematch with Usyk either, and it’s a dumb idea for him to be taking this fight. The chances are that Usyk will beat Joshua even worse than last time, which would ruin what’s left of his deteriorating career.
Joshua may take a second defeat to Usyk hard, causing him to retire from the sport potentially. With Joshua’s enormous ego, he might find it too big of a pill for him to swallow in taking another loss to Usyk.
Like many fighters with big egos, when they finally meet their match, they often retire and are never seen again inside the ring. Joshua might be the type to stew on a loss and go into a deep depression.
That’s why it would have been nice if Hearn had talked Joshua out of it by letting him know it’s a better idea to let Fury take the fight with Usyk.
It would be a good move all the way around because Fury can increase his popularity if he defeats Usyk, and it would make a fight between them that much bigger.