Oleksandr Usyk = most difficult style for Anthony Joshua – says Michael Hunter

By Michael Collins - 09/19/2021 - Comments

Oleksandr Usyk has more than enough power to defeat Anthony Joshua next Saturday on September 25th, according to Michael Hunter. He views Usyk as having the most challenging style imaginable for a fighter like IBF/WBA/WBO heavyweight champion Joshua (24-1, 22 KOs) to be facing.

Joshua will be defending his three belts in the main event against his WBO mandatory Usyk next Saturday night in front of 60,000 screaming fans at the Tottenham Hotspurs Stadium in London, UK.

Most of the fans will be cheering for Joshua, but that won’t bother the well-seasoned Usyk, who is accustomed to fighting in front of hostile crowds from his amateur days. He’s not going to be bothered by Joshua’s fans, and he’s instead looking forward to the experience.

The 2o12 Olympian Hunter fought Usyk (18-0, 13 KOs) in 2017, and he didn’t do too well, losing a 12 round unanimous decision. Hunter found some success early with his high-volume punch attack.

But after Usyk made an adjustment after the third round, Hunter’s offense was shut down permanently for the remainder of the night.

Now it’s Joshua’s turn to have to deal with the crafty Usyk, and Hunter has some warnings for the big 6’6″ AJ that he may be stepping into a minefield on the night.

“He is fleet-footed and defensive-minded,” Hunter said of Oleksandr Usyk to Sky Sports News. β€œIt will be very difficult to actually get a win over Usyk.

“Joshua will have to have a concrete game-plan and follow it. It will be a very hard task,” said Hunter.

It’s not a mystery what Joshua’s game plan is for this fight with Usyk, as the whole world knows what he aims to try.

Joshua will use the old Wladimir Klitschko spoiling style of fighting to keep Usyk’s offense effectively bottled up on the inside.

The Klitschko style Joshua will be using:

  • Jabbing frequently
  • Staying at range
  • Clinching whenever Usyk gets close
  • Leaning
  • Lots of movement+ changing directions
  • Single power shots – No combination punching
  • Throwing left hooks

As we saw in Joshua’s rematch with Andy Ruiz Jr. and his match against Joseph Parker, he’s very effective when using the Klitschko template to disarm his opponents.

Unfortunately for Joshua, Usyk knows the Klitschko style like the back of his hand, and he knows precisely how to defeat that style. If Joshua chooses to use the Klitschko style, which he probably will, Usyk will be ready to take it apart like a safe cracker.

“If he pulls it off? Give the man credit,” said Hunter about Usyk. “Because this style of fighting, for him, is the most difficult.”

“Anybody at the 200lbs weight class is pretty much a heavyweight. We all hit hard,” said Hunter.

With Joshua’s history of a weak chin, even a 175-lb fighter would give him problems if he got hit on the jaw. IBF/WBC light heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev could hurt Joshua if he landed some of his shots with full power.

18 thoughts on “Oleksandr Usyk = most difficult style for Anthony Joshua – says Michael Hunter”

  1. Applause all around for both gentlemen. No way I would want to be in a ring with either one of these experienced professionals.

    • I’d fight both punks at the same time for the money they’re making. It’s ridiculous to reward them for avoiding the best fighters and prancing around the ring like ballet dancers.

  2. Easy money for both fighters. Notice none of these Europeans want anything to do with either Deontay Wilder or Luis Ortiz. Avoided american fighter or lose the.belts only to be left to your tea and crumpets and truffles. Ha ha ha ha ha ha, run cockroach run chicken πŸ“ again and again and again and again.

  3. Anthony Joshua and Dillian Whyte are wise to avoid Deontay Wilder because it’s highly likely to look like Dominique breazeal and hopefully not Spilka. As for fury , he better figure out how to get his cheating sanctioned again or it will most surely be a long night of horrible pain and maybe even death, absolute humiliation. Run, if you can, while you can, pay the 80 million pounds. It’s better than death.

  4. Let’s pray Anthony Joshua wins this fight so he can make good on his statement to ,” slap Deontay Wilder.”
    Ha , that’ll be the day, Anthony Joshua doesn’t even want to meet Deontay Wilder socially.

  5. Anthony Joshua is not afraid of Deontay Wilder, it’s his boss Eddie Hearn that won’t allow Anthony Joshua to fight Deontay Wilder.

  6. Usyk will give Deontay Wilder a chance at unification after Deontay Wilder beats up fury and wins the title back that Deontay Wilder got robbed.
    Usyk is a courage man and will fight.amyone. Anthony Joshua and fury run from fights

  7. Yordenis Ugas is a good and well trained cuban boxer, but that doesn’t mean Luis Ortiz is a good boxer.

  8. Yordenis Ugas proved to the world that cuban boxers can beat anyone if only given the chance too.
    Boxing experts know that, that’s why Luis Ortiz never had a chance to fight the fury’s, the Anthony Joshua’s and Dillian Whyte’s and Andy Ruiz of the world. They’re afraid of the boogie man of the division, the great, ” Luis king Kong Ortiz.”

  9. Poor guy, fury was flat on the canvas over and over and over again, and he kept getting up over and over and over again until the main stream news Media reported it over and over again.
    That’s why Deontay Wilder quit honoring the main stream news Media with exclusive interviews, because of the bias.

    • Yes, the news report should have read,” Deontay Wilder kept knocking down fury over and over and over again and fury kept getting up over and over and over again.”

    • Deontay Wilder is a one trick pony 🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎

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