By Shaun Murphy-
Oleksandr Usyk today brushed aside wide speculation that his relative smaller size to Joshua will see him beaten by the four belt champion when the pair meet on Saturday.
Usyk was speaking at a very selective press conference in London today to promote his clash with Joshua this Saturday, and dismissed talk that Joshua will be too much for him.
Usyk, a talented two time olympic champion, who is unbeaten in the professional ranks, alo brings with him the history of being a decorated undisputed cruiserweight world champion. He made history by becoming the first boxer to hold all four belts in just his 15th professional outing
The IBF, WBA and WBO belts will be at stake at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday night, live on Sky Sports Box Office, and Usyk, who is an outstanding world class boxer .
Usyk is ranked as the world’s fourth-best active boxer, pound for pound, by the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board , and has had just two fights at heavywight, agsinst Chazz Witherspoon and Derek Chisora, stopping Withersppon in 7 rounds, and beating Chisora in a unanimous decision on points in October 2020. He is unbeaten in 18 fights, with 13 coming inside the distance.
He is expected to come in around the 16 stone mark, giving him enough size to tussle with any heavyweight, using his skill and agility to dictate the structure of the fight. Many boxing pundits expect Joshua’s size and power advantage to be too much for the Ukranian, a verdict hr strongly diagrees with.
Asked how he sees the fight unfolding, Usyk said:
“I think, at first, it will be chess.”
Asked if he had a size and power disadvantage, Usyk said: “People talk a lot. They say the truth, or they don’t say the truth. It’s all talk.
“We will see on Saturday what happens.
“The power is not about whether someone is big or small. It’s in your spirit.
“David Haye was three times smaller than Nikolai Valuev which shows that it doesn’t matter.”
Speed
Anthony Joshua is much quicker and better than Valuev was, and most boxing purists will agree that Usyk is betetr than Haye was in the twilight of the latter’s heavyweight career, though does not carry as much explosive power as Haye does.
Joshua , who recently said he cherishes the battles of his career which will help him see how good he really is, has spoken confidently of beating the confidence out of Usyk once the bell goes. The londoner is favourite to retain his belts, but will have to do it first before he is gone clear to face the winner of Tyson Fury and Deontey Wilder, 2 weeks later in Las Vegas.
“These are the best days of my life,” Joshua said.
“I’m not an easy fight for anyone. I like fighting.
“There has to be a reason why I’m here. It has been quick. There has to be a reason.
“If you told me I was fighting King Kong, I’d give it a go.”
Usyk’s camp have for months predicted a spectacular upset when the pair eventually meet.
Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury both opted against paying Wilder step aside money in order to keep their £54m blockbuster unificsation fight, and both now face the task of securing a win in each of their fights to keep the dream British unification fight alive.
Their decision not to offer Wilder nough money to step aside could eventually be regretted if Joshua falters on Saturday, or if Fury falls short against Wilder in Las Vegas just after the first week of october.
Joshua and Fury are both expected to go through their respective interim fights, but as Usyk says, we will find out on Saturday.
Usyk is a tougher opponent for Joshua than most people who are ruling the Ukranian out realise.
A close study of both boxers suggests that if Usyk can actually take Joshua’s explosive shots- those that land against the elusive Ukranian, he could easily outpoint the londoner on points or stop him late in the fight .
Joshua will have to take Usyk out in the first 4 rounds, or he will risk losing his title.
Matchroom will be conducting an only ticket holders weigh in session tomorrow,-a departure from the usual practise of most boxing promoters.