Former American world welterweight champion and current boxing analyst and commentator Shawn Porter
interview for the British media, he expressed his opinion about the fighters of the heavyweight division (over 90.7 kg).
Porter commented on the organization of the fight between WBC champion British Tyson Fury (32-0-1, 23 KOs) and former British champion Anthony Joshua (24-3, 22 KOs), and also spoke about Joshua’s recent rematch against the unified champion from Ukraine Oleksandr Usyk (20-0, 13 KOs).
– There is a huge fight that everyone is talking about in boxing now, especially in Britain – this is Tyson Fury – Anthony Joshua. Obviously, you were involved in the organization of big fights, participated in them. Do you think this fight will take place? And will it take place in December, when there are only 8 weeks left?
“I don’t see Anthony Joshua returning to the ring in December. I will be surprised by this. I think this will be their next fight. This will be a home fight. I’m really looking forward to this fight because I really like Tyson Fury. I consider him the best heavyweight in the world now and in recent times. I always look forward to his performances.
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You can’t write off Anthony Joshua. I don’t look at two losses in a row as if he will definitely lose in a fight with Fury. I look at how he performed. And from that defeat, I see that he will not be enough to defeat Tyson Fury. But if he stays with Robert Garcia, I’ll be interested. And I had a conversation with someone recently. Someone said they don’t think Robert Garcia is good for Anthony Joshua. I don’t agree with this. I think he is a good coach for Anthony Joshua. There are many similarities with Deontay Wilder. He changed coaches. Yes, he did not beat Tyson Fury, but we saw different versions of Wilder. And I know that he will be better against anyone he fights based on the experience of three fights with Tyson Fury and the experience of one fight with Fury with a new coach. Once again, Anthony Joshua lost to Oleksandr Usyk, but that doesn’t stop him from preparing the best version of himself – all because of Robert Garcia. I think it’s an interesting fight (Fury vs. Joshua), but I’m fine with Tyson Fury fighting anyone in the division.
– You shared the ring with Oleksandr Usyk as an amateur. Did you think that Alexander could not lose in a rematch with Anthony Joshua or was there an option for Joshua to win?
“In hindsight, his plan for a fight… You have a plan for a fight against an opponent, but it must take into account your abilities. What I mean by this is that Anthony Joshua doesn’t have the ability to throw 50 to 60 punches per round from rounds one to twelve. This is what I would cook with Anthony Joshua. I wouldn’t put that kind of plan into a fight because I knew he couldn’t do it. I believe throwing up to 60 punches per round, putting in strength and being very physical with Usyk are things that can work for Anthony Joshua. But I knew that there were things that Joshua couldn’t do – because of which Usyk defeated him in the first fight. And then, seeing Robert Garcia in the corner, it should have increased his striking activity, something should have changed a little. In the end, we saw a slightly different version of the fight, but my notes were not as close as those of the judges. I believe that Usyk won the fight unanimously and without problems.