By: Sean Crose
One of the biggest – if not the biggest – matches will take place on Saturday in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Invincible, 19-0 Oleksandr Usyk will defend his WBA, IBF and WBO titles against the man he won them, Anthony Joshua 24-2, in a 12-round scheduled heavyweight bout. With three of the division’s four major title belts (only the WBC belt is not at stake), the reason why this fight is relevant is self-explanatory. If England’s Joshua regains his belt, he will be one of the few heavyweights in history to have become a three-time world champion. On the other hand, a win by Ukraine’s Usyk could mean he’s the man to beat in the tournament.
Both fighters met last September in England, where they fought the full 12 rounds at the Hotspur Stadium. Usyk ended up walking away with the win and the belt thanks to the fact that he pocketed his elder. However, his victory is more than just skill. In the final moments of the final round, Usyk seemed ready to take out his man before the bell rang. It was clearly not Joshua’s best moment in the ring. However, it is worth noting that Joshua has been in this position before.
Back in 2019, the towering Briton stunned on his US debut when he was stopped at the last minute by his replacement Andy Ruiz. Instead of getting into the ether, Joshua changed his game plan for the rematch. The second matchup against Ruiz, which took place in Saudi Arabia, saw Joshua employ an effective defensive strategy, which resulted in him easily knocking out his senior. However, it will be difficult for Joshua to beat Usyk, because a 6’3 title is nothing if not a chess player in the ring.
It’s no surprise that many are expecting Joshua 6’6 to be much more aggressive on Saturday than his first bout against Usyk. With all but 2 of his 24 wins by knockout, there’s no doubt Joshua can shoot like a cannonball. Whether it’s possible to land effectively without being severely damaged by Usyk will likely be the big question of the war. Saturday’s Usyk-Joshua 2 Card will be broadcast live in the United States on DAZN starting at 12 p.m. ET.
