ANTHONY JOSHUA will be on the wrong end of a decision if his showdown with Oleksandr Usyk goes the distance.
The Watford warrior will defend his unified heavyweight titles against the undefeated Ukrainian a week on Saturday at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
The footwork of the fleet-footed and elusive Usyk will be Joshua’s biggest problem to overcome on fight night.
And Tyson Fury’s co-promoter – Frank Warren – reckons the former undisputed cruiserweight champion could dance his way to a points victory over AJ.
He told iFL TV: “He proved it at cruiserweight.
“He was fantastic, and he’s made his mark in that weight division. He was a superb cruiserweight.
“He’s done everything you could ask for. He’s come up a weight and fought Chazz Witherspoon, went seven rounds, and he fought Derek Chisora.
“So now that he’s [Usyk] is up there and comfortable, I don’t think he’s a natural heavyweight.
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“I bet you if he still needed to, he could probably still make cruiserweight. Who knows?
“But Anthony Joshua must be the favourite for the fight. He’s the bigger guy, much bigger, and he’s a bigger puncher.
“Having said that, if he [Joshua] doesn’t get rid of him, and if he’s still there after five or six rounds, then it gets to the end of the fight, if that goes 12 rounds, I would fancy Usyk to get the decision because to get there, he’s going to have to outbox him.”
Warren reckons the undersized Usyk will look to negate Joshua’s power by getting in close and working on the inside.
The Queensbury Promotion’s chief continued: “He’s [Usyk] obviously a very smart operator, and you know how he’s going to fight.
“He’s going to get inside, get underneath AJ’s jab, and if he can do that and work inside, he can give him a lot of problems.
“We don’t know because we want the big fight.”
Victory over Usyk will see Joshua do his part to preserve the long-awaited Battle of Britain with Fury, who will face Deontay Wilder in a trilogy fight three weeks on Saturday.
And the Olympic gold medallist has vowed not to break under the immense pressure on his shoulders.
He told Sky Sports: “With Usyk, I don’t really fold under pressure.
“On September 25th, it’s time to practice everything I know.”
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Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk
