IBF/WBA/WBO heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk admits that he has no worries about facing a more aggressive and explosive Anthony Joshua in their rematch next April in the UK. Usyk (19-0, 13 KOs).
Indeed, Usyk is expecting Joshua (24-2, 22 KOs) to come out with more fire this time around after he dealt him a one-sided 12 round unanimous decision defeat three months ago on September 25th at Tottenham Hotspurs Stadium in London, UK.
Joshua was supposed to have been aggressive for that fight, which Usyk had prepared for. But surprisingly, Joshua threw a curveball by attempting to outsmart Usyk by coming out trying to outbox him.
Joshua compounded his initial mistake by failing to make adjustments midway through the contest by fighting with more aggression, but it appeared that he didn’t have the stamina needed to change things up.
Usyk with NO worries about a more aggressive Joshua
“I’m not worried if Joshua is ready to fight. Oleksandr is ready for any kind of fight,” said Oleksandr Usyk to Forbes when asked if he’s apprehensive about fighting a more aggressive Joshua in their rematch next April.
Joshua is so obsessed with fighting with more aggression in the rematch that he’s traveled to the United States and met with a handful of well-known trainers in hopes of them helping him come up with a plan to defeat the 2012 Olympic gold medalist Usyk.
The latest trainer that Joshua has turned to is Anthony ‘Chill’ Wilson, who he’s been working out with this week in Dubai, putting in some good work with the American.
Ultimately, it doesn’t matter what game plan these American coaches give Joshua. If Joshua’s punch resistance and conditioning are too poor for him to apply what he’s learned from them against Usyk successfully, the Ukrainian will beat him just as quickly as he did last time.
Indeed, Usyk could beat Joshua even easier if he fights recklessly, as he did in his loss to Andy Ruiz Jr. in June 2019. Fighting in a wild way works for Joshua when he’s facing limited guys like 40-year-old Kubrat Pulev and Carlos Takam. Still, it’s not likely to work against a talented counter puncher with speed, mobility, and power like Usyk.
Joshua might find out the hard way that he would have been better off if he’d tried to box Usyk as he did in their first fight rather than attempting to fight more aggressively and winding up gassing out and getting stopped within six to eight rounds.
Oleksandr is not looking ahead
“I might want to fight Tyson Fury or Deontay Wilder, but for now, I’m concentrating on the rematch with Anthony Joshua. If I get those four belts, it will be a very loud statement from me.
“Of course, me and my team pay attention to that. They observe and analyze. I was surprised because he was kind of distracted, chewing on the mouthguard like he was. That’s why I thought it was strange.