AJ vs Usyk

[DrDuke]

ppl oftten forget, but his own stamina and work rate have been a significant part of his success, he is not some pure unhittabe slickster

That's right, he often gets tagged early on, but he has always overcome it. Probably the best way for Joshua to win is to try to bulldozer Usyk early on, but Joshua is likely to go clueless, if he fails to complete the onslaught. Usyk isn't unhittable, but he is durable and can take a punch for sure. He mauls opponents with the speed, the work with angles, etc. I can easily see Joshua being frustrated there.

[candyslim]

AJ does not fear Usyk, and he will not dump a belt to avoid him. Usyk will be a challenge but AJ will likely dispose of him.

Exactly. Joshua is about collecting the belts not giving them up. Usyk will be a tricky opponent. He's a southpaw and is probably the best pure boxer in the division. People think his size is a disadvantage but they forget Joshua's least impressive performances were against shorter opponents:- Ruiz, Parker, Takam and the opening rounds against Povetkin.

In my opinion the biggest factor in my picking Joshua is the power differential. Usyk isn't a big puncher. Even at cruiserweight his stoppage wins were by way of a wearing down process. If you are facing AJ and he knows you don't possess the power to make him respectful, then you are going to be in serious trouble. Joshua hits harder, has faster hands, and throws quicker combinations than Chisora, Witherspoon, and Joyce. Usyk's chin will be tested like never before.

I am pretty confident Joshua wins.

[gregregegg]

If the fight happens Will Joshua try box long or try walk through him. Iv been thinking about this since the fury fight fell through and I have no idea.

[Enlightened-One]

Joshua just needs keep doing his own thing – fight his own fight.

Own the centre of the ring (staying away from the ropes), employ lateral movement to create openings, and keep Usyk at the end of his ramrod left jab.

And whenever Usyk tries to close the distance, the Brit just needs to throw a right hook or uppercut.

For a big man, AJ is really good at throwing short to mid-range punches.

So Joshua just needs to employ the same sort of tactics he used against Pulev.

Usyk’s lack of punching power (and relatively recent lack of efficiency) will be a cause of concern for the Ukraine, because even if he outboxes Joshua, the judges won’t reward him for his feather-fisted blows. Oleksandr needs to win each round decisively.

AJ is very heavy-handed and his blows are generally eye-catching, which means that he won't need to land as many punches as Usyk in order to to gain the nod on the judges scorecards.

Another Usyk flaw is that he often voluntarily loses rounds during his bouts (i.e. 5 to Breidis, 4 to Hunter, 4 to Bellew and 4 to Chisora). AJ only needs to do slightly better than those guys to earn a decision victory.

Two things that Usyk has going for him (in addition to his skills and pedigree), are his work-rate and excellent engine. He gets stronger as fights progress towards the later rounds, when his opponents are showing signs of fatigue.

Even dripping water wears away stone, which means the sheer volume of Oleksandr’s feathery light blows could eventually take their toll. And AJ has been known to run out of gas at times during some of his previous bouts. So that’s something to keep an eye out for.

Anyway, Oleksandr Usyk failed to impress when he fought Chazz Witherspoon.

And even though I thought he earned his victory over Dereck Chisora, my scorecards didn't reflect the narrative of the fight. Nearly every single round was really tough for Usyk… and he seemed to struggle during several stages of that incredibly competitive bout.

For me, whilst it's true that "styles makes fights", it's also impossible to fail to acknowledge the simple fact that AJ is on a completely different level than Dereck Chisora.

At this point in time, Usyk competing at heavyweight is much akin to “a fish out of water” – it’s not his natural habitat. He just seems significantly less effective against the big-men than he did during his time as a cruiserweight.

I just can’t see Usyk winning the fight. Joshua likely scores a 116-112 type decision victory, though I wouldn’t rule-out the possibility of a late KO either.

[lazboy]

I don't see this fight happening given AJ Fury is on the horizon. Of course I would love to see this fight. Given how boxing is...it seems unlikely as surely the business side of the sport see Usyk as a quality fighter and genuine risk. Is he more of a risk than an Andy Ruiz trilogy? Probably in my opinion as AJ has at least faced Ruiz x 2.

[DrDuke]

I don't see this fight happening given AJ Fury is on the horizon. Of course I would love to see this fight. Given how boxing is...it seems unlikely as surely the business side of the sport see Usyk as a quality fighter and genuine risk. Is he more of a risk than an Andy Ruiz trilogy? Probably in my opinion as AJ has at least faced Ruiz x 2.

If not Fury-AJ now, than it gotta be AJ-Usyk. Joshua can't lose a belt before the Fury bout. The Fury-AJ was planned as a fight for the undisputed championship, everything was negotiated. That's why Fury had to fight Wilder. If some of the belts isn't at stake, the value of the Fury-AJ becomes different, both of sides will demand more.

[NateJR]

I'd like to see it, but I think it will be reminiscent of the Klitschko/Haye fight. The size difference will be too much, leaving Usyk tentative and not wanting to let his hands go. Maybe Usyk can make it a bit more I interesting than Haye, but I feel his chances of beating AJ is just as slim.

[DrDuke]

I'd like to see it, but I think it will be reminiscent of the Klitschko/Haye fight. The size difference will be too much, leaving Usyk tentative and not wanting to let his hands go. Maybe Usyk can make it a bit more I interesting than Haye, but I feel his chances of beating AJ is just as slim.

Usyk isn't chinny like Haye, he can afford some risks. Although he is less hard-hitting in comparison to Haye, so it's tough to predict how much work he needs to do in order to have Joshua in trouble.

[Jeff_lacy_ko]

Usyk will give joshua hell if his chin can hold up. Hes a much more rounded boxer

[bekand]

...“I’ve got a couple of fights ready to go [for Joshua],” Hearn said when asked how much time he has before he thinks he can have Joshua’s next fight dialed down.

“But I am speaking to Alex Krassyuk [Usyk’s manager]. That is our preference. That is the fight that I think is most likely.

“But again, it’s got to be right. If the belt goes, the belt goes. In an ideal world, we keep the belt; we always want to keep the belt. But we’ll see what happens,” said Hearn.

It makes sense for Joshua to vacate the WBO title right now because it’s not likely that he will be able to fight for the undisputed championship....
https://www.boxingnews24.com/2021/05/an ... die-hearn/

[Jeff_lacy_ko]

I wouldn't fight usyk. Id fight the wba slop for an easy payday, vacate wbo, and target fury for year end

2 fury fights will pay for retirement.

[Evander]

Usyk is a decent boxer no doubt.
It's the weight difference that will cause him problems against Joshua among other things.
I think Usyk can take a shot, but the fact that he had to at times run against Chisora suggests a big natural younger Heavyweight like Joshua will be a handful for him.
That said, the bookies have it a lot closer than I'd have imagined so what does that tell you.