Tyson Fury is picking IBF/WBA/WBO heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk to do the job on Anthony Joshua by beating him in their rematch next month on August 20th in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Fury sees Usyk (19-0, 13 KOs) as sending former three-belt champion Joshua (24-2, 22 KOs) down to defeat for the second time and ruining the dreams of many boxing fans in a Joshua-Fury mega-fight for the undisputed championship.
‘The Gypsy King’ Fury (32-0-1, 23 KOs) says he believes the promoters will come running to him immediately after Usyk beats Joshua, asking him to take the fight.
Unfortunately, Fury says there will need to be some “begging” before he grants them their wish for him to face Usyk for all the marbles.
If Joshua loses, it will be a tough pill for him and his promoter Eddie Hearn to swallow. Although Hearn said last week that another loss for Joshua against Usyk wouldn’t mean the end of his career, it’ll change how boxing fans view him.
Joshua will still have his large UK fan base supporting him. Still, he won’t be perceived as an A-level heavyweight any longer. He’ll look privileged if he’s given yet another world title shot against Usyk straightaway after a second defeat.
Without Joshua earning the title shot next time, he will look like he’s being given unfair opportunities based on his popularity rather than earning it the way other fighters must do.
“He’s going lose again, then they’re going to call for Achilles to come back,” said Tyson Fury to talkSPORT, predicting Anthony Joshua would lose the rematch with Oleksandr Usyk on August 20th. “And I’m going to say, ‘Get f****, I’m retired.’
“And then, when they’re BEGGING, I will return, but it’s going to be very costly.”
“Anthony Joshua’s a s*** house, and I’ll knock him out,” Fury continued. “If he beats Oleksandr Usyk, he’s got to fight me for free in England. Free-to-air TV.
“30 million people will watch it for free. No PPV. No money earned. We do this one for the fans of the UK,” said Fury.
Wardley picks Usyk to repeat
“I see it as a repeat, unfortunately,” said Fabio Wardley to Pro Boxing Fans when asked about his thoughts on the Joshua vs. Usyk II rematch. “I say ‘unfortunately’ because I always back the home team. I want AJ to win; he is a Brit.
“He’s made the right choice in bringing Robert Garcia in. He’s a different trainer and a different element, whether that’s enough time to work off it, get something off it and figure out the game plan.
“Not just implement a game plan that is going to work against anyone, but against Oleksandr Usyk, who is such a technical boxer. So, that’s a difficult one to see him coming through, unfortunately.
“No, not at all because he’s mentally demanding,” said Wardley about Usyk. “He puts so much pressure on you in different ways with his hand movement, with his foot movement, with his slight shift to the shoulder, to the slight shift to the head.
“He’ll even give you the eyes and make you think something is going to happen, and you could see by the end of the fight with AJ, his [Joshua] tank was below empty. There was nothing there, and that was all off those little bits of work that Usyk does.
“Don’t get me wrong; he doesn’t have that Deontay Wilder, AJ clean you out with one shot type of power, but the thing is, he lands so precise and so consistently that it takes a toll.
“Up, down, then a hook, then this, then that, and he’ll get five or six off. You won’t catch or block them either. They’ll land clean, so that’s what takes the toll,” said Wardley.
