Tag Archives: Oleksandr Usyk

Posted on 09/25/2021

By: Hans Themistode

It was inevitable.

After sharing the gold medal stage in the 2012 Olympic Games, albeit in separate weight classes, heavyweight titlist Anthony Joshua knew he would eventually face Oleksandr Usyk. Nine years following their Olympic triumphs, the two met at the top of the heavyweight mountain top.

Oleksandr Usyk sauntered his way to the ring with a sly smile on his face. The British crowd who booed his entrance seemingly had no effect on the Ukrainian native. As the opening round tipped off to start their contest, the crowd roared as Joshua flicked several jabs in the direction of his man.

None, however, landed as Usyk proved to be far too elusive in the early going. The former undisputed cruiserweight bounced on his toes and began moving side to side. While he seldom threw any shots, Usyk was patiently waiting for the perfect opening. That would come just one minute into the first round.

As Joshua uncorked a strong right hand, Usyk slipped the shot and landed a straight left hand. With his first connect on the night, Usyk began putting the pressure on his man. The punches of the Ukrainian may have come few and far between but he feinted Joshua to no end and caused the former unified heavyweight titlist to come out of position on several occasions.

In the following frame, Usyk enjoyed even more success. He pushed out a strong jab and used unorthodox angles to make Joshua miss on several occasions. As Joshua’s punches failed to connect, Usyk made him pay, landing numerous jabs and straight lefts.

Those previously mentioned left hands of Usyk became a consistent theme throughout their showdown. Joshua, while game, was unable to avoid the nonstop barrage of the Ukrainian early on.

Still, although Usyk remained effective, Joshua continued to move forward. As the middle rounds came rolling by, the former heavyweight titlist began finding his range. He connected on several hard right hands that seemed to stagger Usyk into the ropes. Despite the success, Usyk flashed a bright grin. From there, he moved back to the center of the ring and easily outboxed his man again.

During the seventh round, Joshua continued to attack the head of Usyk but to no avail. Seemingly through with his one-sided tactics, Joshua went downstairs to the midsection in an attempt to slow him down.

Usyk grimaced in pain during the eighth round as the work rate and pressure of Joshua continued to increase. As the rounds continued to slowly pass by, Usyk, fighting on foreign ground, refused to sit back on his laurels. The former cruiserweight undisputed champion pushed the pace and found a home for his straight left hand.

During the championship rounds, a heavily breathing Joshua lumbered to the middle of the ring. Usyk, on the other hand, appeared fresh as he continually bounced up and down on his toes. While Usyk spent the majority of their contest outboxing his man, he spent the remainder of their bout bullying Joshua. In the 12th, in particular, Usyk pressed Joshua up against the ropes and unloaded several unanswered shots.

Joshua, to his credit, had on his best poker face. He smiled at Usyk and stuck out of his tongue as he egged him on. Regardless of the hubris Joshua showed, the three judges scoring the contest from ringside simply weren’t buying it as they handed Usyk the unanimous decision victory.

Posted on 09/25/2021

By: John “Gutterdandy” Walker

The lack of buzz for the upcoming clash later on tonight between unified heavyweight champ Anthony Joshua of the UK and Oleksander Usyk of Ukraine has been a bit puzzling. 

After all, “AJ” is the holder of a number of HW straps, and Usyk was once the totally unified champ of the cruiserweight division, the still unbeaten conqueror of the formidable and now fellow heavyweight Murat Gassiev. One would think that boxing fans would be looking forward to this clash of the titans with rabid expectation. 

But in actuality, the event has been very under the radar. UK sportswriters have largely written off Usyk as being “too small” to beat their muscled Adonis. There has been a certain degree of ennui in the press reporting in general, with no small amount of resentment that Usyk has gotten in the way of the fight that “everyone” (everyone in the UK at least) wanted to see: AJ vs Tyson Fury. You’d think the name Andy Ruiz Junior just might have occurred to some of the boxing “experts” claiming that great size and sculpted muscles always determine a heavyweight fight, but alas, how soon they forget. 

The final presser for Joshua vs Usyk yesterday was very civil and did little to create the kind of freak show atmosphere that people who follow was is loosely called “boxing” have gotten used to over the last couple of years, thanks to Zoomer “influencers” (one of the more annoying terms I’ve ever heard) like the notorious Paul brothers.  

People argue over whether the “YouTuber,” celebrity boxing scene is good or bad for the sport, but one thing that seems sure is that a segment of people now expect a boxing match to provide a carnivalesque, freak show atmosphere that the Usyk vs Joshua title bout is sorely lacking (though Usyk did at least wear a colorful outfit to the presser that was apparently a partial tribute to The Joker). 

Everything Old Is Old Again 

So, is a mere high level boxing match just not good enough anymore? Would people rather shell out $70 or more to see 58-year-old Evander Holyfield look like a pitiful shell of his former self? Holyfield apparently was not deterred by his recent disastrous return to the ring against one Vitor Belfort, and still wants to face old ear-biting nemesis Mike Tyson — who is partly to blame for this trend of old fighters getting back on the boards, after cleaning up financially with his glorified sparring session against an out of shape Roy Jones Jr. — for a third time.   

Fortunately, the spectacle of the always fit-looking Holyfield nevertheless looking every bit his age in the ring was so shocking that the people looking to put Riddick Bowe back in the ring have now decided against it. Anyone with a brain in their heads who has listened to Bowe talk in the last decade should have known better than to ever entertain the idea of a ring “comeback” for the man, but it took Holyfield’s ring misadventures to finally convince Bowe’s backers to back off.   

But have no fear, lovers of car-crash style, old-guy boxing. Holyfield may be down, Bowe may be out, but never a guy to be outdone, James Toney is gearing up for his comeback! The only question left is: where the heck is Shannon Briggs? 

Hrgovic and Makhmudov: Young Guns With No Targets 

All the attention on boxing’s old-timers lately has left true up and coming possible heavyweight superstars – Croatia’s Filip Hrgovic and Montreal’s Arslanbek Makhmudov – out in the cold, begging for table scraps. The sport’s lack of structure means that truly fearsome talents like these are ignored for as long as possible by the guys at the top of the division. 

Makhmudov (13-0, 13 KOs) fought last evening in Quebec against the “best” name he could convince to share a ring with him, Germany’s Erkan Teper (21-4, 13 KOs), and what some anticipated as being a “test” of the hulking Russian-born fighter’s abilities quickly developed into a farce, as the pudgy Teper, who looked like he had literally just gotten off his couch and strolled into the ring, tasted the power of the “Lion” and quickly looked for the exits.

One round was enough, as Teper stumbled around, fell down, tried to hold on, and finally got knocked down by Big Mak. Teper had no intention of coming out for round two. 

Makhmudov, a truly genial fellow, sheepishly addressed the Montreal crowd following the win: “He’s a good boxer, but not in the best shape,” he said charitably of his fallen German foe. 

Anglo-America’s Ukrainian Nightmares 

It pays to remember the reaction of the boxing world in Anglo-America when the Klitschko brothers, Wladimir and Vitali, essentially took over the heavyweight division for a decade and moved it to Germany. American and British boxing scribes who should have known better engaged in all sorts of xenophobic ranting about the dominant brothers, often cynically attributing their dominance to mere “size.” 

Yet when the Klitschkos finally retired, and huge men like Deontay Wilder, Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua, all as big or bigger than the Klitschkos, came along, that “size” argument disappeared literally overnight.  

No, the real problem was that the Klitschkos had snubbed America, and England, and absconded to continental Europe with the heavyweight belts. Given the hysteria and nastiness that followed, one can only imagine that the idea of a Croatian heavyweight champion or a Russian-born, Quebec-based heavyweight champion doesn’t fill someone like Eddie Hearn with glee. Britain is now the center of heavyweight boxing, and therefore Hearn and others who run the sport are in no hurry to risk a Hrgovic or Makhmudov again taking the “glamor division” away again.

So there they sit, these young guns like Hrgovic and Makhmudov getting older by the minute, forced to sit for long periods of time and then only fight guys who can’t even begin to test them. They remain unknown by all but the most ardent followers of the sport, while the Paul Brothers and other social media celebs get all the attention, and make millions of dollars to boot. 

The biggest threat to the current order for the moment, however, is posed by Oleksander Usyk, who seeks to follow in the footsteps of his countrymen the Klitschkos and take the heavyweight belts home to Ukraine. Perhaps there’s been so little buzz about this fight in boxing circles, and such casual dismissal of a great fighter like Usyk, because the latter man is the biggest threat to the new order since the brothers from Ukraine first spoiled things for the Anglo-Americans.

The powers that be simply can’t allow themselves to imagine a Usyk victory over Joshua. And no doubt should Usyk prevail, the first words out of Eddie Hearn’s mouth will be: 

“Rematch clause!” 

Posted on 09/23/2021

By: Hector Franco

This weekend in the United Kingdom, arguably the biggest star in boxing will fight for the first time in 2021 when Anthony Joshua (24-1, 22 KOs) defends his WBA, WBO, and IBF heavyweight titles against the Ukraine’s Oleksandr Usyk (18-0, 13 KOs). 

Initially, Joshua was set to take on lineal and WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury in what would have been the most significant bout of the year. However, Fury found himself legally obligated to face Deontay Wilder in a third fight, putting an end to the fight with Joshua. 

Following the legal debacle with Fury, Joshua was then forced to focus on his WBO mandatory Oleksandr Usyk.  

Usyk is one of the greatest amateur boxers of all time, holding an impressive 335-15 amateur record along with winning multiple amateur tournaments, including a gold medal at heavyweight at the 2012 Olympic games in London. 

As a professional, Usyk has found nothing but success winning the World Boxing Super Series cruiserweight tournament in 2018. Usyk took on the best fighters the division had to offer throughout the tournament, earning victories over then-undefeated fighters Mairis Briedis and Murat Gassiev. 

In the tournament finals, Usyk was crowned the winner holding the coveted Muhammad Ali trophy and laid claim to the undisputed cruiserweight championship holding all four major world titles in the weight class. 

To cap off 2018, the Ukrainian defended his undisputed crown against the United Kingdom’s Tony Bellew, scoring an emphatic eighth-round stoppage. Usyk would become the unanimous fighter of the year in 2018, winning the honor from The Ring Magazine, the Boxing Writers Association of American, Sports Illustrated, and ESPN. 

Currently, Usyk is ranked as one of the best fighters in the world, pound-for-pound sitting at the number four spot by Ring Magazine. 

After accomplishing all he could at cruiserweight, Usyk set his sights up the weight scale at the heavyweight division.

Usyk made his heavyweight debut in October 2019, taking on journeyman Chazz Witherspoon who was on an eight-fight winning streak heading into the match. 

While scoring a seventh-round stoppage over Witherspoon, Usyk’s performance wasn’t up to par compared to his previous fights giving many doubts about his prospects at heavyweight. 

In his next fight in October 2020, Usyk stepped up the competition taking on perennial heavyweight contender Derek Chisora. 

Usyk improved upon his performance with Witherspoon against Chisora, scoring a clear unanimous decision putting himself in the position to challenge for the WBO heavyweight title. 

Joshua will be a massive jump for Usyk, who will have significant size and reach disadvantages. Usyk is current a +225 underdog against Joshua, who also won a gold medal at the 2012 Olympic games, but at super heavyweight. 

Joshua reportedly stands at 6’6 compared to the Ukrainian southpaw’s 6’3 with a 4-inch reach advantage. 

However, Usyk may have seen weaknesses that he feels he can exploit against Joshua, most notably in his loss to Andy Ruiz in the summer of 2019. Joshua would win a unanimous decision out boxing Ruiz in the rematch later that same year, but will Joshua be able to outbox a fighter as technically sound as Usyk? 

“I can outbox him; of course I can,” Joshua stated during the final press conference. “And I can out-strength him. You have to have a bit of aggression, boxing skill, head movement. There is not just one factor that determines a fight. Obviously, we have our go-to, our strength. 

“I will use my strengths. But it’s called a boxing match for a reason. I love the sweet science. I will display my boxing skills, but I won’t make it too complicated in there.”

Most of the boxing world has generally put Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, Terence Crawford, or Naoya Inoue at the top of their pound-for-pound lists, with Alvarez sitting at the number one spot in the majority of publications. 

However, a victory over Joshua for Usyk would trump a victory for Alvarez over Caleb Plant to become the undisputed super middleweight champion, as Plant is a massive underdog who hasn’t been in the ring with elite competition. 

After more than three years at welterweight, Crawford finally got a fight with a top fighter in the division when he takes on former two-time welterweight champion Shawn Porter in November. But Crawford will also be a favorite over Porter, who at this point has lost his biggest fights. 

Pound-for-pound lists are fun to discuss and argue with among fans, but the fact is those lists are based more on fantasy than reality. 

Usyk becoming a unified heavyweight champion to go along with his credentials at cruiserweight should put him at the top of any list. However, the reality is due to size, Usyk would easily beat Alvarez or Crawford. 

Also, Usyk has shown just as high an IQ and skillset as both men. 
“This is the biggest fight of my career right now,” said Usyk at the final press conference. “My opponent is the biggest, an Olympic champion with three world titles. He is a cool opponent. I am looking forward to the victory. 

“I have put in all the work and effort, and I will demonstrate what it means to me.” 

Posted on 09/23/2021

By: Hans Themistode

In the eyes of many, Anthony Joshua should walk away from his heavyweight showdown against Oleksandr Usyk with his world titles tucked safely underneath his arm. But while most believe he’ll take care of business against the former cruiserweight champion this Saturday night at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the United Kingdom, those same believers are convinced that his only path to victory is via stoppage.

With Usyk being known as a master boxer, question marks have surrounded the Ukrainian’s ability to take a punch. Although the former Olympic gold medalist dominated the cruiserweight division, winning every world title en route to becoming an undisputed champion, he now competes one weight class higher in the heavyweight division.

Even with the presence of bigger men, Usyk has made a seamless transition, picking up wins against Chazz Witherspoon and Dereck Chisora.

As Joshua continues to implement his game to defeat the Ukrainian, the 31-year-old unified titlist has grown tired of hearing everyone determine his chances of winning are based solely on his one-punch knockout power. In Joshua’s mind, he’s fully convinced that no matter where the fight takes place, he has the upper hand.

“I can outbox him,” said Joshua during their final press conference. “of course I can. And I can out-strength him. There’s not one factor that can determine a fight.”

For the better part of the past decade and a half, Usyk has rarely, if ever, been outboxed. The quirky giant dominated the competition as an amateur, winning an Olympic gold medal in the 2012 games and picking up several notable wins along the way against the likes of Joe Joyce and Artur Beterbiev.

Joshua, while an Olympic gold medalist in his own right, is known for ending fights in the blink of an eye as opposed to outboxing his opposition. That said, the two-time heavyweight belt holder has shown off his boxing ability throughout his career.

In March of 2018, Joshua saw his 20 consecutive knockout streak come to an end against a cautious Joseph Parker. Despite failing to end the fight before the final bell, Joshua still cruised to a unanimous decision victory.

Fast forward one year later, and Joshua proved once again that he could do much more than rely on his freakish power. After suffering the first defeat of his career to Andy Ruiz Jr., Joshua would win their immediate rematch six months later. On the night, Joshua avoided long drawn-out exchanges and instead, opted to box and move.

Considering that the British native is highly capable of using both his brains and brawn to win a fight, he feels extremely confident that whether Usyk wants to bang in the middle of the ring or have more of a tactical chess match, the end results will be the same.

“I’ll use my strength, but it is a boxing match. I love boxing, the sweet science.”

Posted on 09/20/2021

By: Hans Themistode

The hard part is nearly over.

After spending the past several months preparing both his mind and body for his upcoming title defense against Oleksandr Usyk, Anthony Joshua can’t help but get excited. The British native will take on his WBO mandatory challenger this coming Saturday, September 25th, at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the United Kingdom.

While both have been fairly cordial of one another, in past Joshua fights, that simply hasn’t been in the case. Leading up to his most recent showdown against Kubrat Pulev, the two nearly came to blows well before the night of their actual fight. Regardless of the unified titlist having his cage rattled, he remained poised enough to record the stoppage victory.

As Usyk appears to be happy-go-lucky, repeatedly sending Joshua messages asking him how he’s doing, the 31-year-old titlist can’t help but be amused by his antics and effervescent attitude.

“I’ve seen mad people and he isn’t a mad person,” said Joshua during an interview with MailOnline Sport. “He’s fun. There is a lot of respect there.”

More than just his personality, Usyk has seemingly gained the respect of Joshua through his hard work in the ring. As an amateur, both Joshua and Usyk graced the gold medal stage together at the 2012 Olympic Games. Joshua would go on to beat out everyone in the super heavyweight division before walking away with gold, while Usyk would do the same one-weight division lower at heavyweight.

From there, Joshua has continued to be impressed with the accomplishments of the 34-year-old Ukrainian. In only his tenth pro fight, Usyk captured his first world title. Five fights later, he would finish up his cruiserweight crusade having wrapped every world title around his waist.

Now, with the highly skilled pound-for-pound star moving up in weight and snagging two victories against Chazz Witherspoon and Dereck Chisora, he now has his eyes set on becoming a world champion once again.

Considering everything Usyk has accomplished, Joshua has an extreme amount of admiration for him. In fact, Joshua goes as far as to say that Usyk is cut from a legendary cloth.

“I respect him because he’s a good fighter. That’s why we’re meeting at the top. Talent-wise I love the challenge of this guy. He comes from a lineage of great champions like the Klitschko’s, Vasyl Lomachenko.”

Posted on 09/19/2021

By: Hans Themistode

The heavily built frame of Anthony Joshua has served the unified heavyweight titlist justice in the ring. While the division has plenty of enormous fighters, Joshua appears to be massive in comparison.

The hulking muscles and gigantic biceps have ultimately led to Joshua scoring devastating knockouts. In his most recent trip to the ring against Kubrat Pulev, Joshua tipped the scale at 240.8 pounds. The extra girth that Joshua brought with him on the night, proved to be too much as Pulev hit the deck a total of three times before he was eventually stopped in the ninth round.

In comparison, Joshua’s upcoming opponent, Oleksandr Usyk, is known for entering the ring considerably lighter than his opposition. The former undisputed cruiserweight world champion recently forfeited roughly 40 pounds in weight in his heavyweight showdown against Dereck Chisora.

With two fights under his belt in his new weight class, Usyk has come in no heavier than 217 pounds. Seemingly, in an effort to nullify the boxing ability of the Ukrainian, Joshua has been spotted sporting a considerably slimmer physique. While the 31-year-old is hoping that his new body composition will aid him on the night, Usyk’s manager, Alexander Krassyuk, is steadfast in his belief that Joshua’s new weight loss will ultimately lead to his downfall.

“We accept AJ [Anthony Joshua] shedding weight as good news,” said Krassyuk during an interview with Mybettingsites.com. “Formerly a lot of experts gave his weight as an advantage. Now AJ is reducing his advantage.”

Krassyuk’s confidence in Usyk derives from watching the Ukrainian star dominate his competition regardless of supposed weight disadvantages. After outboxing everyone who was placed in front of him in the cruiserweight division, Usyk opted to chase even more gold one-weight division higher.

Despite his skills, the pound-for-pound stars transition to facing larger men hasn’t been a seamless one. In his first appearance in the land of the big men against Chazz Witherspoon in October of 2019, Usyk struggled at times with the 35-pound weight advantage of his man. Although it took him several rounds to adjust, Usyk eventually found the fight-ending shot in the seventh round.

As previously mentioned, Usyk once again stepped into the ring at a major weight disadvantage against fringe contender Dereck Chisora. While most were expecting the former Olympic gold medalist to easily nullify the extra pounds of the British native, Usyk had his difficulties throughout.

Regardless of the puzzle placed in front of him, Usyk would eventually eke out a close unanimous decision victory. With the Ukrainian relying heavily on his boxing ability and paired with the sudden weight loss of Joshua, Krassyuk has revealed that the self-belief of his star pugilist is through the roof.

“Usyk is very confident in his victory over AJ.”

Posted on 08/18/2021

By: Hans Themistode

Plenty are split down the middle in terms of how they view the heavyweight clash between unified champion Anthony Joshua and former undisputed cruiserweight king, Oleksandr Usyk.

With Usyk’s ability to outbox and outthink his opponents, rather than outmuscle them, there is a belief that no matter how big Joshua’s hulking muscles are, he’ll have a difficult time landing something significant.

Even as Joshua is currently the betting favorite, an easy night at the office isn’t widely expected. That is, unless you ask former heavyweight and cruiserweight champion, David Haye.

“Not much,” said Haye when asked how much trouble Usyk can give Joshua on September 25th during an interview with IFL TV. “I think if Anthony Joshua decides to have a tit for tat boxing match like just jabbing and trying to score points, then he’d have some trouble but he’s not stupid enough to do that.”

Joshua, 31, has seldom attempted to win his contests on the judge’s scorecards. Having wiped out 22 of his 25 career opponents before the final bell has rung, the British native has a propensity to leave nothing to chance.

In his most recent ring appearance, Joshua placed more of his killer mindset on display. In December of 2020, the British native took on then mandatory challenger, Kubrat Pulev. Despite claiming that Joshua’s title reign was going to end in brutal fashion, it was Pulev who was on the wrong end of a one-sided beating. The Bulgarian would hit the mat a total of three times before being stopped in the ninth round.

While Joshua impressed a populous crowd at Wembley Arena, Usyk, 34, was unafraid of what lies ahead.

After picking up every world title in the cruiserweight division, Usyk’s time as a heavyweight hasn’t been as successful.

Having watched Usyk struggle with much bigger and stronger opponents in Chazz Witherspoon and more recently, Dereck Chisora, Haye isn’t only convinced that Joshua is going to pick him apart but he also envisions exactly how it’ll happen.

“He’s going to use his beautiful jab, his height and reach advantage, size, and weight advantage, and his punch power advantage. He’s just better all around. It’s going to be pretty devastating.”

Posted on 08/04/2021

By: Hans Themistode

Whenever Bob Arum lays his eyes on unified heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua, they immediately fill with dollar signs. The long-time promoter knows good and well that Joshua represents a massive payday for himself, his promotional company Top Rank, and of course, WBC/Ring Magazine heavyweight titlist, Tyson Fury.

Just a few short months ago, Arum believed he had a deal in place that would pit Joshua and Fury in the ring against one another on a two-fight contract. Their undisputed title fight was set to take place on the other side of the world in Saudi Arabia. Yet, with Fury contractually mandated to take on Deontay Wilder instead, Joshua has also moved on to facing WBO mandatory challenger and former undisputed cruiserweight champion, Oleksandr Usyk, on September 25th.

Under normal circumstances, Arum would be screaming at the top of his lungs in support of Joshua. With tens, if not hundreds, of millions of dollars on the line, the long-time promoter would be crossing his fingers in the hopes that Joshua makes it the dance floor against Fury. However, with Usyk holding a special place in the heart of Arum, the 89-year-old promoter is hoping the highly touted Ukrainian gets the job done.

“Usyk is a friend of mine because he is Vasiliy Lomachenko’s friend,” said Arum during an interview with Sky Sports. “He is a terrific guy, funny, articulate and smart. It is against my economic interest, but I will be rooting for [Usyk] in the fight. I just can’t help myself.”

While Arum doesn’t promote Usyk, he does share a close connection with Lomachenko, one of Arum’s top fighters. Both men captured gold in the 2012 Olympics, the heavyweight division for Usyk and the lightweight division for Lomachenko.

Currently, despite pulling for Usyk, the pound-for-pound star has opened up as a sizable underdog. Not only does the betting market favor Joshua but many in the boxing community also believe the gargantuan heavyweight champion will get the job done.

In Usyk’s most recent trip to the ring, the Ukrainian took on fringe contender Dereck Chisora. While the former cruiserweight king may have eked out a close unanimous decision victory, the British native was left unimpressed with his opponent.

“Joshua will run through Usyk,” said Chisora following their contest. “He doesn’t have any power at all.”

As for Joshua, the 31-year-old has been hard at work as he prepares to deal with the technical boxing ability of Usyk. The unified titlist was last seen in the ring in December of 2020 against Kubrat Pulev. Joshua had little to no trouble dealing with his man, dropping him a total of four times before ultimately ending his night in the ninth.

Posted on 07/24/2021

By: Hans Themistode

Anthony Joshua no longer wants to play the what-if game.

The reigning unified heavyweight titlist was anxious to fulfill a lifelong dream of becoming an undisputed champion. By all accounts, Joshua was on the verge of having his opportunity to do just that. With that said, he was forced to wait once negotiations between himself and WBC/Ring Magazine belt holder, Tyson Fury, broke down.

Now, with Oleksandr Usyk set to face him on September 25th, Joshua has quickly shunned away from the disappointment he felt when his showdown against Fury failed to go through. But while he’s putting Fury on the back burner of his mind, Joshua still has him in his peripheral vision.

“He’s good and that’s all I could really say,” said Joshua when asked about his matchup with Usyk during an interview with Sky Sports Boxing. “He’s good but I need to be better. He’s a great challenger for the heavyweight titles and I’m looking to handle business. I have my eyes on other things.”

For Joshua, a matchup against Usyk feels somewhat predestined. Long before the Ukrainian captured every world title in the cruiserweight division, the pound for pound star was dominating the competition in the unpaid ranks. While his amateur record of 335-15 was impressive, Usyk’s crowning achievement, before turning professional, was winning gold during the 2012 Olympics in the heavyweight division.

Joshua, of course, has his own vivid memories of those same Olympic Games, taking home a gold medal in the super heavyweight division. As the current unified heavyweight champion stood on that Olympic podium next to Usyk with matching gold medals hanging from around their necks, he knew, that although their amateur paths were vastly different, that one day, they would face off in the ring.

“I got mines in a short amount of time. From the day I walked into the gym, to getting to the Olympics and winning, three and a half years. He’s had a long and vast amateur career. He got that gold as well. We both been on that trajectory as professionals. It just shows that the hustlers always meet at the top.”

Posted on 07/20/2021

By: Hans Themistode

After spending the past few months telling the public that Anthony Joshua would take on mandatory challenger, Oleksandr Usyk, fans patiently waited for an official fight date from promoter Eddie Hearn. Now, after finalizing the entirety of their deal, both the where and when have been revealed.

“Olympic Gold vs. Olympic Gold, Unified World Heavyweight Champion vs. Undisputed Cruiserweight World Champion. This one has it all and I can’t wait to stage this huge event in front of over 60,000 at the stunning Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on September 25,” said Eddie Hearn.

Since nabbing every world title in the cruiserweight division, Usyk, 34, has bided his time for a shot at heavyweight gold. Once the Ukrainian achieved all of the goals he set out for himself in the cruiserweight division, he made the trek to the land of the big men in 2018. Although he was placed as the mandatory challenger, Usyk was still forced to wait.

First, the former unified cruiserweight champion stepped aside and allowed Joshua to have an immediate rematch with Andy Ruiz Jr. From there, Usyk was forced to cede ground to then IBF mandatory challenger, Kubrat Pulev. With Joshua winning both contests, the Ukrainian was willing to wait once more, this time, in favor of a proposed undisputed showdown between Joshua and WBC/Ring Magazine titlist, Tyson Fury.

However, Usyk’s recent generosity wasn’t needed as negotiations between Joshua and Fury broke down. Now, with no one standing in line before him, Usyk pursued his long awaited showdown. Since making the move to heavyweight, Usyk has gotten his feet wet with a pair of fringe contenders in Chazz Witherspoon and Dereck Chisora, defeating them both.

With Joshua and Usyk claiming gold in the 2012 Olympics, heavyweight division for Usyk and super heavyweight for Joshua, the current unified titlist is anxious to step back into the limelight and test his skills against his fellow Olympian.

“The date is set and we are fully locked in,” said Joshua. “September 25, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, I put it all on the line again and it’s time to defend my crown. We are two Olympic Gold medallists who have fought our way to the top and never avoided challenges. The stadium is exceptional, the atmosphere will be electric, I’m honoured to be the first person to fight in such an awe-inspiring venue. The stage is set and I am ready to handle business.”

Posted on 06/21/2021

By: Hans Themistode

Anthony Joshua always tries to play it cool. The current unified heavyweight titlist rarely shows his emotions but following the fallout of his undisputed showdown against Tyson Fury, Joshua was visibly apoplectic.

While Joshua believed he had a deal in place to face Fury, Deontay Wilder swooped in and seized the showdown right from underneath his nose. The two will now face off on July 24th in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Forced to change course, Joshua (24-1, 22 KOs) is now deep in negotiations with mandatory challenger and former undisputed cruiserweight champion, Oleksandr Usyk. Currently, a few small wrinkles are still being ironed out between both sides but Joshua is firmly of the belief that the Ukrainian will be his next dance partner. Although an official contract hasn’t been signed, Joshua let the cat out of the bag in terms when he expects to face the former Olympic gold medalist.

“I wanted to go like August but change of opponent, completely different style, the team said push it back a little bit, prepare properly,” said Joshua during an interview with Sky Sports Boxing. “This is a fight I need to win because I was at the final destination on that road to undisputed but now we have a pit stop we have to make with Usyk. At the end of September is when I’ll be taking on the former undisputed cruiserweight champion of the world.”

While the fallout between Joshua and Fury was ultimately disappointing to most of the boxing world, to Usyk (18-0, 13 KOs), it was music to his ears. Ever since winning all four major world titles in the cruiserweight division in 2018, Usyk has attempted to make his mark in the land of the big men. In October of 2019, Usyk easily stopped journeymen Chazz Witherspoon. He then followed that up with a close unanimous decision victory over the rough and rugged Dereck Chisora.

The wins may have allowed him to get acclimated to fighting bigger men, but it hasn’t brought about ringing endorsements regarding his future in the division. For example, shortly after his defeat, Chisora claimed that Usyk has “no power” and has “no chance” against the upper echelon of the weight class. In the mind of Joshua, he echoes those sentiments, at least to a certain extent. Regardless of the countless world titles Usyk has won in a lower weight class and despite his amateur pedigree, when questioned about the danger that Usyk presents to him in the ring, Joshua didn’t stammer when answering.

“None,” continued Joshua. “I fear none of them. He don’t bring nothing I ain’t seen before. Two hands, two legs, a brain and a bit of heart. He’s a good fighter, I’m challenging myself in training. So yeah, let’s get it on.”

Posted on 05/21/2021

By: Hans Themistode

The heavyweight division was slowly evolving from a jumbled mess to a much clearer picture. By all accounts, WBC/Ring Magazine titlist, Tyson Fury, was set to take on unified champion Anthony Joshua this coming Summer.

Those plans, of course, were recently derailed as former belt holder Deontay Wilder has effectively moved ahead of Joshua and will now face Fury in a third showdown between the pair thanks to arbitrator Daniel Weinstein. But while most of the boxing world has grown apoplectic with the postponement of Joshua vs Fury, heavyweight contender Oleksandr Usyk (18-0, 13 KOs) couldn’t stop himself from smiling.

The Ukrainian native has long been awaiting his chance to fulfill his own dreams of becoming a heavyweight belt holder. Even with a mandated position by the WBO, Usyk reluctantly moved out of the way to allow their undisputed showdown to take place while he, in turn, would face former amateur rival, Joe Joyce.

Although it’s been mostly mums the word behind the scenes, both team Usyk and Joyce have dealt with a number of speed bumps along the way to making their showdown a reality. Now, however, with Fury out of the picture, Usyk doesn’t see the value in staying the course.

“We were going through negotiations with Joe Joyce’s team,” said Alexander Krassyuk, manager of Usyk to BoxingInsider.com during a recent interview. “But, things were not going so smoothly financially. According to our calculations, the percentage of the purse split was 93% to 7% in favor of Usyk. But, the WBO ruling was that a fighter cannot receive less than 20%. Joyce’s team went to the grievance committee of the WBO and said that 80-20 was not fair. We were supposed to have the hearing but it makes more sense for Usyk to fight the champion, Anthony Joshua. I’m in negotiations with Eddie Hearn to put a date together and put the figures together.”

For as badly as Usyk wants to wrap heavyweight gold around his waist, Krassyuk believes his fighter has been more than fair. Time and time again, the former Olympic gold medalist shoved his dreams to the side in order to placate the wishes of Joshua.

In a bid not to stir the pot, Krassyuk details the long two-year wait his Ukrainian star endured.

“We gave Joshua many breaks,” explained Krassyuk. “If you take a look back at 2019, Usyk was appointed the mandatory when Andy Ruiz was the champion but Usyk allowed AJ to have the rematch with Ruiz. After AJ got back his belts, the immediate mandatory clause was sanctioned by the WBO. The IBF sanctioning body and Kubrat Pulev were also mandatory and they were in that position before us so we made a deal. We agreed to fight Dereck Chisora, they would give us some step aside money, Joshua would fight Pulev and we would get to fight Joshua next. Then, of course, AJ and Fury decided they wanted to fight and we were willing to allow a third fight for AJ but now, I believe it’s our turn.”

Throughout it all, Usyk has remained both patient and inactive. At one point, Krassyuk remembers a time where Usyk seemingly slept in the gym and fought stellar competition frequently. Now, through no fault of his own, the pound-for-pound star has spent more of his time sequestered on the sidelines due to various reasons. Since moving up to the heavyweight division in 2019, Usyk has only fought twice. Once, against the previously mentioned Chisora and just before that, against journeymen Chazz Witherspoon.

Normally following his ring appearances, Usyk’s skills are heavily praised. Yet, with two lackluster performances, many have given him an incredulous look as they have questioned whether or not he has the physicality and aggression to excel at the next level. Answering that question with an emphatic no, was former opponent, Dereck Chisora.

“He didn’t have any power,” said Chisora following his defeat to Usyk. “AJ would eat him up, Fury would eat him up. His style of boxing isn’t made for the heavyweights.”

A back and forth argument between Krassyuk and Chisora may entertain fans, but the long-time manager has no interest in doing so. All he asks is that Chisora and everyone else who doubts Usyk for that matter, simply take a look at his resume.

“Usyk is an elite fighter, a 2012 Olympic gold medalist, former cruiserweight undisputed champion, he is elite.”

At the moment, the heavyweight division is mostly viewed as a three horse race. As Wilder, Joshua and Fury are all routinely mentioned near the top of the weight class, Krassyuk is firmly under the belief that Uysk will soon be given the opportunity to prove that he is a step above them all. While he remains confident that his long-time star will pick up the win no matter whom he faces, Krassyuk does acknowledge that although they are all tough fights, one of those three fighters could prove to be the toughest fight of Usyk’s career.

“I think he’s going to fight all of those guys but Fury would probably be the toughest fight.”

Posted on 02/04/2021

By: Hans Themistode

Joe Joyce truly enjoyed his tenth round stoppage victory over Daniel Dubois. However, the moment his hand was raised in victory, the British native immediately moved on to his next goal, winning the heavyweight title.

At the moment, Joyce’s championship dreams will have to wait as unified champion Anthony Joshua and WBC/Ring magazine titlist in Tyson Fury have nearly come to terms on a two-fight deal. While Joyce could opt to wait on the sidelines until he’s given a title shot, the former Olympic Silver medalist is nearing a fight deal of his own to take on Oleksandr Usyk with the interim WBO title on the line.

“It’s looking like April,” said Joyce when asked when he expects to take on Usyk during a recent interview with BT Sports. “Negotiations are going well and it looks like the fight is lining up quite nicely. It’s almost confirmed.”

Usyk, 34, currently holds the WBO’s number one spot in the rankings. His shot at the winner of Joshua vs Fury is all but guaranteed unless he comes up short against Joyce in their showdown. Although nothing has been finalized, Usyk is expected to walk into their contest as the betting favorite. Usyk’s perceived advantage over Joyce not only stems from his undisputed title reign in the Cruiserweight ranks and his unblemished record but also a 2013 win Usyk scored over Joyce as an amateur.

While it may have been eight years ago, Joyce hasn’t forgotten that faithful night. In fact, Joyce is using it as a motivating factor as he believes that the first time they tangled was a lifetime ago and that he is a completely different fighter compared to then.

“His skills were like next level. He was really on fire,” said Joyce when reminiscing of their first matchup. “I’ve learned a lot since then. He’s bulked up in size a bit but has lost a bit of speed so I’ve kind of caught up to him.”

Whether Joyce has actually caught up with Usyk or not is a question that will be answered on fight night. But according to the powerful heavyweight contender, he believes he knows good and well what it will take to usurp his man once they face off in the ring.

Getting into a boxing match is something Joyce will avoid doing. Instead, he’ll look to use his hulking six-feet six-inch frame to impose his will and punish Usyk over the course of 12 rounds.

“With the pro gloves, I have the power to stop him. I just have to catch up to him and don’t let him cut off the ring too much. He’s a tough person to land a shot on. I’ve got to hit him on the nose, body, the arms, legs – he’s not going to like it.”

Posted on 01/21/2021

By: Hans Themistode

Joe Joyce was happy as can be the moment he took down the highly touted heavyweight prospect Daniel Dubois in late November last year. Coming into their showdown, Joyce (12-0, 11 KOs) was given little to no chance of getting the job done. However, following a rough start, the British native forced Dubois to take a knee before ultimately stopping his man with a persistent jab which left his left orbital bone completely shattered.

Shortly after the win, Joyce saw his ranking in the WBO sanctioning body soar to number two in the world. With unified champion Anthony Joshua and WBC/Ring magazine belt holder Tyson Fury currently deep in negotiations on a two-fight deal, Joyce could be forced to take on number one ranked contender Oleksandr Usyk for the WBO interim title.

While Joyce would love to face either Joshua or Fury instead, the former Olympic Silver medalist wouldn’t mind getting a bit of revenge against a man who schooled him on the amateur scene nearly a decade ago.

“Yeah definitely,” said Joyce to IFL TV when asked if he wants to face Usyk next. “I look forward to it. It was a great fight the first fight and the rematch is going to be even better. I think I picked up more skills along the way. I’ve been in the sport for a lot longer now. I think Usyk is putting a bit more weight on power-wise and I think it just has the makings of a great fight.”

In January of 2013, Usyk (18-0, 13 KOs) dominated Joyce during an amateur tournament, winning all five rounds on the night. In terms of excuses, Joyce made none as he admitted that Usyk was the better man. With that being said, Joyce believes he’s a completely different fighter now.

“It was all action for five rounds but I’ve picked up a lot of skills since then. Most importantly, he’s going to have to deal with me for 12 rounds, not five.”

The potential to score a bit of revenge is a driving factor for the heavyweight contender. But more than anything, Joyce is fully aware that a win over his amateur rival will place him in an ideal position moving forward.

“For the winner, they have a chance to potentially fight the winner of Fury vs AJ. There’s nothing bigger than fighting for the undisputed crown.”

Posted on 01/19/2021

By: Hans Themistode

Oleksandr Usyk’s train to a heavyweight world title is apparently about to make an unexpected stop. The former undisputed cruiserweight titlist has long been awaiting his chance at facing unified champion, Anthony Joshua.

With a win in his heavyweight debut against Chazz Witherspoon, Usyk (18-0, 13 KOs) followed that up with another victory against fringe contender Dereck Chisora. While both wins may have allowed him to get acclimated to fights against bigger men, considering he became the WBO’s number one ranked contender the moment he moved up in weight, Usyk never needed to face anyone other than Joshua in his first official contest as a heavyweight.

Still, the former Olympic gold medalist appeared on track to challenge Joshua for his world title. However, both Joshua and WBC/Ring magazine belt holder Tyson Fury are on the verge of papering a two-fight deal, according to promoter Eddie Hearn. With the likelihood of Usyk waiting even longer for his shot at a world title, promoter Frank Warren is currently working on something that would placate the impatient big man.

“We’re working on, at the moment, Usyk and Joe Joyce,” said Warren during an interview with IFL TV. “I think the WBO will order that as an interim-title fight so we’re working hard to make that happen. The situation is that the WBO have said they’d like to do that fight as an eliminator. We have no objection to that and I don’t think Usyk has either. There’s been some preliminary talks and we’ll see where we go from there.”

Joyce, a 2016 Olympic Silver medalist, is currently riding the high associated with the biggest win of his pro career. On November 28th, just last year, Joyce handed highly-touted previously undefeated prospect Daniel Dubois the first defeat of his career via 10th round stoppage.

Despite the win, along with the success he’s obtained during his short career, Joyce (12-0, 11 KOs) still has an ax to grind with Usyk. In January of 2013, before either man turned professional, they faced off at the World Series of Boxing. On the night, Usyk dominated his man winning every single round.

Regardless of their previous outcome, Warren views Joyce as a completely different fighter. In addition to that, the long time promoter believes the British native has all of the momentum in the world.

“It’s a good fight and based on his last performance, Joe’s looking really good. It puts the winner in a tremendous position. The eventual winner of the two fights between Tyson and AJ will have to defend against Joyce or Usyk, or vacate the belt.”