By: Sean Crose

Roughly a decade ago dominance of the heavyweight division looked to be down to three men. There was the thunderously hard-hitting American Deontay Wilder, the towering eccentric and very skilled Tyson Fury, and Fury’s fellow Englishman, the statuesque and hard-hitting Anthony Joshua. It was one of these three who would determine the heavyweight division’s future. They were popular, these fighters, as well as super-sized, and entertaining. Plus, they were very good fighters. Even Wilder, who some considered to be a power puncher and little more, had proven to be worth his metal against the likes of Luis Ortiz. Again, it was a three-way contest for dominance.

Or at least it seemed that way. There was a fourth player, not as big as the others and not a natural heavyweight, who abruptly made his way onto the scene. Oleksandr Usyk was on fan’s’s radar, having won the undisputed cruiserweight championship of the world, but with the focus on Joshua, Wilder and Fury,  there really wasn’t much buzz around him being a truly viable contestant in what had been long viewed as a battle among giants. Suffice to say it was Usyk who ended up dominating the heavyweight division when all was said and done. The fact that he did so by beating Joshua and Fury twice a piece only added to his stellar reputation.

Joshua took the losses particularly hard. After being decisioned for the second time in a row by Usyk the man went on a strange ramble right there in the ring for the world to see. He was trying to be a good sport, but it came across as exceedingly odd. A later loss to Daniel Dubois didn’t help matters either. Now however, Joshua is looking to return to the ring.. and Usyk is there to help him.

Yup. Usyk is now supporting Joshua in the Brit’s quest to defeat – you guessed it – Tyson Fury. “We help each other. We help, we work,” Usyk told Sky Sports, “we’re joking, it’s a great time. Earlier we were rivals, opponents, now we’re friends.” The truth is that Usyk’s advice and technique could be invaluable. He has a very frustrating style that employs a great deal of movement. The style worked wonders against both Joshua and Fury before, who is to say it won’t work for Joshua when he and Fury finally get in the ring? In short, Joshua’s decision to work with Usyk makes good sense.

“He’s definitely going to be a help,” Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn told Sky Sports, “how could he be anything but a help? It’s definitely not going to be an easy fight but it’s one we’re all confident of.” Make no mistake about it, Joshua has been going through a rough spell these past few years. In particular, a fatal car crash which cost Joshua two of his friends made things particularly brutal. If anything though Joshua is not a quitter, and it’s clear he wants to be able to defeat Fury, not just show up. Hence the teaming with Usyk.

For his own part, Fury has tried laughing off the Usyk-Joshua team up. Joshua is clearly out to win, however, something that Fury can’t take lightly. Although there’s no undisputed heavyweight title at stake, or even a serious title of any kind, Joshua-Fury is a legitimate fight, well worth looking forward to. It may be a bit late in coming, but there’s no doubt fans, especially English fans, are happy it’s coming  out at all. The tutelage of Usyk may make a difference and it may not. As Hearn rhetorically asked  though: “How can he be anything but a help?”