Usyk v Joshua, the rematch of the year

The Champ

Oleksandr Usyk, Parimatch’s very own Responsible Gambling Ambassador, defeated Joshua in just his third fight in the division, to claim the belts. After dominating the cruiserweight division, Usyk has quickly cemented himself as a heavyweight to be feared. Boasting masterful in-ring skills, Usyk is a technician rarely seen in the heavyweight division.

Now a two-weight World Champion, the unbeaten Ukrainian has become a legend. With each passing win he climbs higher in the all-time pantheon of the sport.

The Contender

For Anthony Joshua, he’s been here before. He bounced back from the shock defeat to Andy Ruiz and defeated the American in style in their rematch in Saudi Arabia. Like all the great champions, he responds to adversity in style.

AJ finds himself at a crossroads in his career. Win, and he finds himself back at the top of the throne for a third time. Lose, and it’s likely the end of his career as an elite heavyweight.

Here’s the list of every three-time World Heavyweight Champion:

Muhammad Ali.

End of list.

For Anthony Joshua, he now has the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of the greatest of them all and prove the doubters wrong once again.

Tale Of The Tape

Usyk and his camp will be looking for a repeat of the first fight, where ultimately, he outboxed Joshua. If this fight comes down to who has the better hand speed, the better combinations, the better in-ring craft, Usyk will win. What he lacks in size over Joshua, he more than makes up for in the years of ring experience that have taken him from an Olympic Champion as an Amateur, to an all-time great as a pro.

For AJ, he wants to make this clash more of a fight than the first. Joshua came in lighter than ever in the first fight and tried to out-box Usyk, that was a mistake. He’ll aim to use his superior size and reach to control this fight and make it uncomfortable for Usyk. He made tactical adjustments for the Ruiz rematch; can he do the same here?

With the prospect of a potential unification fight against a “retired” Tyson Fury looming, this is a fight both fighters will be desperate to win. Will Usyk prove to be too skilled for Joshua to overcome despite his physical advantages or will Joshua use them to set up potentially the biggest fight in British boxing history.

It doesn’t get better than this.