Just like when he picked himself up after losing to Andy Ruiz in 2019, Anthony Joshua is ready to prove himself once again as he faces Oleksandr Usyk on August 20. It was something of an experience being ringside watching Usyk defeat Joshua last September to become heavyweight champion, and I’m excited to see what the second meeting holds.
So many questions surround this fight and once the first bell goes in just over two months time, we’ll start to get some answers. This fight is everything to both of these outstanding fighters and the opportunity to leave Saudi Arabia with the unified heavyweight crown is what’s motivating both Joshua and Usyk.
Can the Ukranian, a fighter I know very well after sharing the ring with him back in 2018, be as good as he was last year? His brilliant footwork, timing, and movement was something else and by the time Joshua had realised what was in front of him, it was too late for him to make a difference as Usyk was already well ahead on the scorecards?
Will Usyk use that same approach, or will he be expecting something a lot different from Joshua this time around? His boxing skills have been enough to see him become a two-weight world champion with the minimum of fuss, but this is the first rematch in his illustrious career and he surely must be expecting an improved version.
Since the loss to Usyk, Joshua has made huge changes to his team with Angel Fernandez taking a bigger role and the legendary Robert Garcia also coming onboard. Robert McCracken is no longer involved and that could be a big factor, but Joshua is a very smart man and he’ll be fully aware of what he’s doing with his team.
All eyes will be on Robert Garcia in the build-up to this fight and it’ll be interesting to see what changes he can make to Joshua at this stage of his career. He’s one of the smartest coaches around and he wouldn’t have taken this job if he didn’t believe he could add value. He was a winner as a fighter, he’s a winner as a trainer, and he’ll be fully focused on winning when preparing Joshua for the biggest test of his career.
He’ll want ‘AJ’ to start a lot quicker because if Usyk is allowed to settle early then you might just see a repeat of the first fight. If Joshua can use his size, speed, and power, but do it correctly, then he can get Usyk’s attention and let him know he’s in with a different animal from the first fight. That’s the approach Joshua should take. Let Usyk know he’s in a tough fight right from the outset.
This fight will mean the world to Joshua after what happened in the first one but make no mistake about it, he’s going to be a threat in this division no matter what the result. If he can’t get past Usyk then he might have to put his world title dreams on hold for a little while but that doesn’t mean that the climb back to the top won’t be eventful.
Can you imagine Joshua against Deontay Wilder in America? What a fight that would be between two explosive fighters. Joshua taking on British fighters like Dillian Whyte again or Joe Joyce. Those fights would fill any stadium in Britain. Or even the big one with Tyson Fury. That still remains a huge fight as long as both men are active.
First though, it’s all eyes on August 20 and Joshua against Usyk. Although I believe his future is bright whatever the result, fighters are incredibly proud, and Joshua will be desperate for revenge. If he can beat Usyk, then him against Fury becomes the biggest fight we’ve seen in a long time. If it is Usyk’s night, then the journey back to the top for Joshua will be a hard one but he’s proven before that he loves a challenge.