Anthony Joshua believes Oleksandr Usyk will defeat Tyson Fury in the rematch

By: Sean Crose

Anthony Joshua is no longer a heavyweight titlist, but he remains one of the hottest draws in all of boxing. The man is extremely entertaining in the ring. More often than not, the imposing Londoner delivers action. That’s why fans would love to see Joshua fight former heavyweight titlist Tyson Fury in the near future. A Joshua-Fury match may not be the relevant battle fans have wanted over the years… but it could be. Fury will, after all, face Oleksandr Usyk later this month. Should he win the rematch against the brilliant Usyk, Fury will once again be a world titlist.

This is good news for Joshua, who would no doubt love to be able to fight for a world title once again. Ironically, Joshua – who has faced Usyk and been beaten twice himself – thinks Fury will lose to Usyk in the rematch, just as Fury lost to Usyk in their first fight. “I think it will be a tough fight at first,” Joshua told Queensbury Promotions (via Business Day) and then I feel Usyk will be able to defeat him again. Joshua isn’t the only one who thinks so, although the first fight between Usyk and Fury was extremely close.

However, Joshua believes Usyk’s skills will once again lead him to victory over Fury. “He’s a classy operator,” Joshua said of Usyk, “so I think Usyk is one of the best around. That’s why I think he will win.” Things may not go as Joshua planned, but there’s no doubt that Joshua knows what he’s talking about. Because he fought Usyk for twenty-four rounds. Unfortunately (at least for Joshua) Usyk won both fights in fairly dominant fashion. Yet there’s no doubt that Joshua knows what it’s like to face Usyk, perhaps better than anyone.

Regardless of whether Fury wins the Usyk rematch or not, there will still be interest in seeing him and Joshua throw each other down. Joshua won’t be able to fight Fury for any heavyweight titles, however, if Fury loses to Usyk a second time. The fight could therefore be considered a second-tier affair, popular though it would undoubtedly be. Joshua is perhaps slipping, as his recent loss to Daniel Dubois might indicate. Fury might be considered a bit over the top if he were to clash with Usyk twice in a row. However, the much-desired bout between Joshua and Fury will feel like unfinished business for every fighter if they never meet in the ring.