OutcomeBy Gabriel Princewill-
Powerfully built Anthony Joshua says a knock out win will be bonus for him, and he is looking forward to Saturday’s fight. The disparity in weight between the Londoner and Olegsander Usyk for his highly anticipated rematch this Saturday, was wider than their first meeting as the pair stood on the scales for their official weight.
Joshua weighed 17 stone 6 inches, heavier than his previous 17 stone 2 inches when he was outthought and outclassed by Usyk in September 2021. Usyk on the other hand, came in at 15st, 11lb and 10oz ,having weighed a then career heaviest 15st 11lbs (221lbs) when he seized all the main belts from Joshua, becoming the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world.
Saturday’s rematch is a must win fight for the Londoner, who hopes to regain the heavyweight title of the world he lost in humiliating fashion before a large partisan crown in London last year. Joshua will be finished as a force in the heavyweight division if he falls short for any reason. His morale will be damaged to even look forward to any meaningful fight after another loss to Usyk,-a man who emerged from the cruiserweight ranks, though as an unbeaten world champion- to beat him twice with only two fights at heavyweight prior to meeting Joshua.
Joshua will have to show his motivation from the first bell and break Usyk’s will. He has to be looking to close this fight inside five rounds, but that’s no easy bet. Beyond the half way line, Usyk’s chances of repeating victory will increase with each passing round. How likely Joshua is to execute the requisite level of aggression and conviction to put his rival’s light out is a mere conjuncture in advance of tomorrow’s showdown.
The heavier weight of the Londoner could prove detrimental and costly, if he is not able to move quickly enough to counter his rival’s speed and nail Usyk on Saturday night. It could equally be an asset if he can corner his opponent and give him an old fashion bashing, to demonstrate his seriousness to be a dominant force in the heavyweight division, and stamp his mark in the history books. He has the whole world watching, the full attention of the British public, and his family and friends will be at ringside watching and gunning for him.
He will surely be motivated for this one. but how motivated he will be remains to be seen, and how adaptable his fitness at his weight will be to whatever Usyk’s presents is part of the intriguing aspects of this fight. The ring is a lonely place, with just two fighters and the middle man.
Usyk, who has taken the admirable step of ensuring Ukranians can watch the fight free of charge, has expressed his confidence that this fight will simply be a continuation of the last fight- an indication that he still considers himself to be in the superior position for victory when the pair square up again to determine who really is most deserving of being called heavyweight champion of the world.
If a scale to be conceived to compare the level of motivation of these two fighters, Usyk will have to be estimated to be the more motivated. He has a lot to fight for. The adulation of the Ukranian people who have had to endure the dreadful circumstances of a hellish war they did not ask for, and the message he wants to give the world. And having dominated the cruiserweight division, establishing himself as the confirmed heavyweight champion, would be a much relished outcome for him.
The accomplishment of unseating an undisputed champion in Anthony Joshua, and beat him again in a rematch would earn him much accolades beyond what he has already achieved so far. Joshua knows he has to stop him, which will entail a focused and instinctively programmed approached at every juncture of the fight until it is over with the belts back round his waist.
Joshua has already told the world in the build up to this fight that he will be the come back king. The man who returns to reclaim that which belongs to him, like he did in avenging his defeat to Andy Ruiz Jnr in December 2020. Ruiz was a good fighter, who was underrated because of his fat ungainly figure.
Usyk is a different assignment’ fast, strong, and with a wealth of experience allied to supreme boxing skills.
Joshua will have a task in beating him on Saturday. He sounds confident, but not enough.
However, rather than maintaining the rhetoric of wanting to smash up Usyk which he has projected in the build up to the fight, the man once considered Britain’s golden goose, and considered unstoppable as he routinely dispatched of his opponents in quick succession coming up the ranks, was less assertive, as fight night draws close.
Joshua ‘s tone in stating his readiness for 12 rounds was somewhat regressive and appeared to lack the focal goal of emphatically disposing of his opponents inside the distance to produce famous win for his legacy.
“I’m looking forward to the fight,” Joshua at Friday’s weigh-in. “And I’m ready for 12 rounds.”
“I always say for me personally, face-offs don’t mean nothing. Just about the bell ringing and us throwing leather, face-offs don’t win fights,” said Joshua on stage. “I’ll be honest all this stuff doesn’t matter, it’s just about the fight. Weight, face-offs, none of it matters to me, just looking forward to the fight.
“I’m just ready for 12 rounds, 100 per cent, anything short of that is a bonus.”
Joshua who has hired new trainer Robert Garcia to prime him for an explosive victory and glorious redemption, is expected to use his physical advantages to stop his talented and unbeaten opponent in Saudi Arabia, a country widely condemned for its notorious record of human rights abuses.
A punching power house when in his element, the 2012 olympic champion is in his last chance salon, as far as the restoration of his credibility is concerned.
Usyk was expected to turn up heavier than his first meeting, and was thought to be bulking-up in preparation of a more aggressive, attacking Joshua, who is desperate to emerge the come back king on Saturday night.
Footage posted on social media of the tough Ukrainian appeared to depict a bigger stronger Usyk, but all that proved to be an illusion. The Ukrainian has clearly elected to maintain an advantage of speed , which he believes will aid a repetition of the conquest which damaged Joshua’s reputation.
Joshua seeks to become heavyweight world champion for a third time, joining a select bracket of fighters that includes Muhammad Ali and Lennox Lewis, and paving the way to a legitimate claim of greatness if he maintains a respectable momentum after that. He knows he will have to fully optimise his physical attributes, and lay into his opponent with fast and furious hands from the outset, delivering heavy bombs with very spiteful intentions.
The fight which promises to be scintillating and revealing will tell the boxing world more about both men as they earnestly seek victory in a fight expected to be memorable.
Determining who will be the more motivated of the two is difficult, though the Ukrainian apart from the innate desire to defend his new titles, also aspires to become a major sporting icon for his country, and speak up about the war in Ukraine ignited by Russia.
Predicting a winner for this fight is difficult, and purely subjective. Joshua has to be very imposing and lethal, but also negate the supreme mobility of his slippery opponent to secure the win.
Usyk is the more talented of the two and could use his masterful skills and underrated strength to outsmart Joshua and potentially stop him this time, or produce a repeat points victory. He truly deserves to be the favourite to win Saturdays all important match.
But I’ll vert reluctantly go for Joshua to prove his hunger and determination, and stop Usyk in five rounds, in what will be the biggest win of his career so far