ANTHONY JOSHUA took a potentially career-ending rematch with Oleksander Usyk to prove to the world he’s an “all-time great”.
The Watford warrior will bid to reclaim the unified heavyweight titles from the tricky southpaw in a make-or-break Saudi showdown next month.
Anthony Joshua will renew his rivalry with Oleksandr Usyk next month Credit: GETTY
AJ suffered a lopsided points defeat to the Ukrainian last September Credit: GETTY
The Brit has taken the dangerous rematch in order to prove he’s a “great” according to Eddie Hearn Credit: GETTY AJ, 32, snubbed a lucrative step-aside deal in order to exact revenge on the undefeated Ukrainian – who took him to school in their Tottenham tussle last September.
But avenging his second professional defeat isn’t the Brit’s sole motivation for taking the dangerous match-up.
Promoter Eddie Hearn told iFL TV: “He loves the fact that he’s going straight back in with Oleksandr Usyk when everyone went, ‘Don’t go back in with Usyk.’
“Because he’s trying to prove to you that he’s a great… When he wins, let’s put him down as an all-time great.”
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AJ’s next fight date after Usyk revealed with Hearn already eyeing return Joshua has brought in world champion coach Robert Garcia for his desert dust-up with Usyk – a partnership Hearn hopes will produce a more aggressive approach on fight night.
He told BBC 5 Live Boxing: “You’ve got to push him back, just like [Derek] Chisora did.
“Watch the Chisora fight, [the] few first rounds. [Usyk] was up against the ropes. You gotta get him back there.
“You gotta rugby tackle him back to those ropes. [Usyk will be a] sitting duck, sitting duck.”
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But he warned AJ: “You can’t be careless against a great counterpuncher like Oleksandr Usyk.
“Listen, Usyk may come out on the front foot and go on and push AJ back.
“You saw that in Deontay Wilder against Tyson Fury.”
Win or lose, Hearn insists the once-active Joshua will fight again before the end of the year.
Hearn told iFL TV: “The one thing he [Joshua] wants more than anything is activity and December will definitely be his next fight”
Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk
