Can cruiserweight king Usyk dethrone the heavyweight champ?

That must have been music to Usyk, whose heavyweight title ambitions have been known for some time.

In steps the Ukrainian as the mandatory for Joshua’s WBO belt, with his IBF, WBA and IBO world heavyweight titles also on the line for the mouth-watering clash on September 25.

At 4/11, the champion is the favourite to get the job done. Just as he was when he made his U.S. debut against Andy Ruiz Jr., the 10/1 underdog. We all know what happened that night at Madison Square Garden.

But that’s history. Oleksandr Usyk, the former undisputed cruiserweight champion, is the next fight for AJ.

He dominated at cruiserweight, recording 16 victories before stepping up to heavyweight to stop Chazz Witherspoon in the 7^th and outpoint Derek Chisora.

He has an impressive resume. He’s earned his shot. But is he asking too much, too soon, against a top tier heavyweight?  Or is Joshua just another hurdle to overcome on the path to becoming one of the greatest fighters ever?

Joshua is a powerful and devastating mountain of a man. Usyk is a shrewd and skilled boxer who has more than a fair chance at inflicting the second major upset of AJ’s professional career. For the big man, there’s more than one way to skin The Cat. For Usyk, he’ll need to be at his very best to emerge victorious. But he has quite a few things going for him.

Motivation – And Alexander wept, for there were no more worlds to conquer.

When Oleksandr became the undisputed champion at cruiserweight, where was there to go?

Usyk’s promoter, Alex Krassyuk, explains

Mass

It’s not the size of the dog in the fight.

At 6ft 3in, Usyk is considered by some to be too small to go toe-to-toe with Joshua, who has an extra 3in on the Ukrainian. But do you know who else was 6 ft 3 in? Mohammad Ali. You might have heard of him. A lot of people think he was quite good at boxing.

Mike Tyson was 5ft 11in in his prime. David Haye and Evander Holyfield, who both made the leap from cruiserweight to heavyweight, were 6ft 2in.

Manoeuvrability - Speed Skills

Usyk will need to rely on the same skills he used to outclass his opponents in the lower division to cause an upset against AJ. That means being quick on his feet, using his signature speed, footwork, agility, and combinations to get the edge over his more naturally heavy opponent. He’s the better boxer, but he’ll need to avoid getting caught by Joshua’s ferocious power over the course of 12 rounds. Luckily, The Cat can get up close and then out of AJ’s reach in the blink of an eye.

Mentality – Heavy is the head that wears the crown

Usyk was the cruiserweight king, but there isn’t much expectation on him to dethrone the heavyweight champ. All eyes are on Anthony Joshua. AJ maintains that he doesn’t fold under pressure – but he was on the wrong side on one of the sport’s biggest upsets with his defeat to Ruiz Jr. Will that be playing on his mind? Or was it just a tough lesson that made him even stronger? Usyk is undefeated. Joshua isn’t. That could give the Ukrainian a slight, psychological edge over his opponent.

Whatever happens at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on September 25th, this is not a fight to be missed. For Anthony Joshua, victory means he’ll be one step closer to the highly anticipated clash with Tyson Fury. For Usyk, this boxing match could turn the heavyweight division on its head, and propel the celebrated southpaw from being one of the finest cruiserweights to grace the ring, to an undisputed legend of the sport.

Enjoy the fight.