Promoter Bob Arum (Top Rank) urges not to write off the British big man Anthony Joshua (24-2, 22 KOs), who on Saturday in Jeddah (Saudi Arabia) will try to regain the WBA Super, IBF and WBO titles lost in September in London (England) in a rematch with Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk (19-0, 13 KOs).
Usyk-Joshua: MythBusters – battle preview
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Arum still considers Usyk the favorite, but
asks you not to forgetthat “we are talking about heavyweights. Anything can happen in a heavyweight limit fight. Their chances are about equal, but I’m a little more inclined in favor of Usyk. Joshua’s chances? He has a punch, a great powerful punch. And Usyk can be caught like any other fighter. In a heavyweight fight, you can never be 100% sure of the winner. I’m not going to bet. I think in my case it would be inappropriate. But I always believed Usyk would beat Joshua.”
“Usyk is an incredible athlete. A very, very smart fighter. He is always well prepared, he is left-handed. And I don’t see how Joshua could beat him. And no, I’m not starting from the result of their previous face-to-face confrontation. How realistic is the fight between the winner of this fight and (WBC champion) Tyson Fury? Let’s be frank. In the battle for the title of absolute world champion, there will be such huge money at stake that Fury simply cannot refuse. I believe that we will get a great unification duel. I think it will take place in the first quarter of next year, and maybe even in December,” Arum shared his thoughts.
Joshua previously said he would “offer Usyk ‘African style’.” Meanwhile, Wilder threatens to “knock out the Ukrainian and claims that Fury will simply have to end his career.”
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