Via Craig Daly: Promoter Eddie Hearn believes Anthony Joshua needs a knockout against IBF/WBA/WBO heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk to secure victory on August 20 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Hearn felt that it might not be enough for Joshua (24-2, 22 KOs) to try and knock Usyk out like last time because that didn’t work.
If Joshua went down that street again, he would take a calculated risk that could backfire on him.
With Joshua’s huge frame, chronically poor fitness issues, and a vulnerable chin, he’d best not try and get past Usyk (19-0, 13 KOs).
Most recently, we saw Joshua finish second in most rounds ahead of the super boxer Usyk as he was trying to match him in skill.
Joshua has a new coach at Robert Garcia, and he has many plans that he will quickly complete on August 20 if things don’t work out for the 32-year-old.
Team AJ’s confidence is very high
“Canelo isn’t the only boxer to lose a fight later this year in a superfight where you’ll be in the middle. Obviously, I’m talking about Joshua and Usyk. That fight is done now, we have a date for sure and we are going back to Saudi Arabia,” Radio Rahim told. Secondsout about Anthony Joshua preparing for a rematch with Oleksandr Usyk.
“Joshua, there is a new coach, it is a good day to give him more time [Robert] Garcia? “
“It’s more about being able to drive a transcendent war for Saudi Arabia,” said Eddie Hearn. “Time for press conferences, multi-city tours of press conferences.
“People don’t realize that Joshua has been working with Robert Garcia since December. He’s been in full camp for a long time. Three or four more weeks, will it help? Probably. But he is ready to go on July 23 and he is ready to go on August 30.
“He is in great form, and Robert is making a big splash, especially with the performance of Bam Rodriguez, his win at the weekend. Everyone is really confident,” says Hearn.
Joshua arrives with the wrong game plan
His [Joshua] second loss. You have been on this road before. The first match was a huge shock to everyone, not that it was a surprise, but a tougher fight. You can see how it will play out,” Rahim said.
“Joshua’s mentality after losing [to Andy Ruiz Jr] and come back to avenge it and again have to do the same. In this case, no one believes that he will win the second match.
“Most people think he’s going to beat Ruiz a second time,” Rahim said of Joshua having an easier task against Andy Ruiz Jr, 283-lb in looks than he would against the trained Oleksandr Usyk. formatively in their rematch.
“The difference between the two fights is that AJ on everyone’s list is a much better boxer than Andy Ruiz,” said. To listen. “Yes, Ruiz stopped him. The difference between the two wars and the outcome. This is in terms of digesting it for AJ.
“AJ is not really suitable for the Ruiz fight. He was right in the fight with Usyk, but he was just defeated by the better boxer. With the loss to Ruiz, he could say, ‘I really wasn’t right. I was caught. I did not recover. I shouldn’t have lost, but I did. ‘
“You can’t say, ‘I shouldn’t lose to Usyk’ because you did, and he boxed you.”You came with the wrong game planand the boxer with better technique won the night. ‘
“So it’s almost a bit more difficult for him because he has to go, improve and come back with a better plan of play. People said when he lost to Ruiz, ‘You shouldn’t fight Ruiz again. You should go back, rebuild. ‘
“Now people say about the fight with Usyk, ‘You shouldn’t fight Usyk again.’ This guy [Joshua] has a stellar resume and he just wants to fight the best boxers in the world.
“This is the only fight he cares about, but he has to change and he has to change against a pound. It’s not like some people say, ‘He just needs to be more drastic. He just has to come and let go. ‘
“It’s not easy to go against someone as great as Usyk, but he certainly needs to do a lot of it. It was very difficult for him to get over it. He’s in a great place physically and mentally, and all really believe he’s going to win this fight and that he needs to do the same for his career,” Hearn said.
Usyk knows what adjustments AJ will make
“In Usyk’s case, he knows what we’re all talking about, and he knows the adjustment Joshua is likely to make,“Rahim said.
“What do you know about the adjustment Usyk might be making to that, and how dangerous is it really? Joshua is clearly your man, but this is a very dangerous fight.”
“It was one of those great heavyweight fights. Not just of our generation, but of all times,” Heartn said of the Joshua vs. Usik II. “When we were in Saudi Arabia last week, it felt like ‘Rumble in the Jungle,’ ‘Thrilla in Manilla.’
“When you see scenes in Saudi Arabia, you get that feeling, and it’s a must-win heavyweight fight. [for Joshua]. You’re right, Usyk has the ability to adapt to all kinds of styles, but he doesn’t like the physical.
“He [Usyk] dislikes being hit, especially in the body, and it’s no secret that AJ has to be more aggressive in the fight. It’s not just more aggressive.
“Robert Garcia made it clear that you almost need game plans 1, 2 and 3, and you need to be able to adapt in the fight because Usyk is very, very good and very smart.
“He is [Joshua] must be more active in the fight, and he knows it’s a win. I really believe he will take him down. He will stop him in this fight because he has to.
“I don’t think he can afford to just go out and rule him out. He must be aggressive and I think he has to try and knock him down“Hearn talks about what Joshua needs to do for him to beat Usyk.
The undisputed fight ONLY happens if Joshua wins
“In the end, Tyson Fury retired, which is hard for any of us to believe, and he talked about what it might take to get him back. The winner of this war is heavy,” said Rahim.
“I don’t think Tyson Fury will rematch if Usyk wins, but I think if AJ wins, and I believe he will, then I think we’re going to see an undisputed fight between those two,” Hearn said. “That’s why AJ joined this fight.
“He wants to force the undisputed war. It’s always been his undisputed dream, and he couldn’t have done it without a belt. So he’s going to do this rematch and he’s doing everything to be a three-time world champion,” Hearn said of Joshua.
“Be objective with your estimate, with three boys Usyk, Joshua and Tyson, assuming he’s active, who’s the top heavyweight contender in the league?” Rahim said.
“You are asking a very biased person,” says Hearn. “I strongly believe that Anthony Joshua is the best heavyweight in the world, but now on paper you can’t say that.
“I really think with the background, and he obviously only had a few heavyweight fights, beat AJ, became the undisputed cruiser world champion, I got a lot of advice. quote when I talk about Tyson Fury’s background, the truth is that his big wins have come against Deontay Wilder three times, but one individual and Wladimir Klitschko.
“Well, AJ defeated Wladimir Klitschko. He also defeated Povetkin, Ruiz, Parker, Dillian Whyte, another boxer that Tyson Fury defeated.
“So I rate AJ’s resume as always better than all of them at heavyweight, but on paper it’s Usyk vs Fury for No. 1 right now. Hopefully that will change on August 20th,” Hearn said.
