Oleksandr Usyk tries to charm Anthony Joshua – but can knockout power overcome perfect skills? | Boxing news

Can Anthony Joshua compete with Oleksandr Usyk’s superior boxing skills, which has enchanted all 18 professional opponents? The panel will give its verdict …

The Ukrainian star will challenge Joshua to the WBA, IBF and WBO heavyweight championships at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday live on Sky Sports Box Office.

Usyk has already conquered the cruise printing division and has become an undisputed champion, but what problems does his perfect technique cause for Joshua?

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Adam Smith

Wladimir Klitschko was a very good technical fighter, a versatile boxer and very skilled, but apparently towards the end of his career. Oleksandr Usyk is at his best, he is a southern paw and AJ stopped at a southern paw with Mihai Nistor in amateurs. Joshua has never fought just one southern paw as a pro and completed only one round against Charles Martin.

Yes, Usyk is very skilled and has an amazing amateur record. He is unbeaten in 18 professional matches and possibly a nightmare to be solved. Not only the movement and speed of his perimeter and the skill he brings, but also the game of his mind, his thinking. He is a very strong individual.

I think this is the hardest battle of Anthony Joshua’s life. Maybe not mentally because he had to go back with Andy Ruiz Jr. who had hit him, but surely it’s a more tricky problem than he’s ever had to face.

Matthew Macklin

I would say Usyk has the best ring IQ of all the fighters AJ has encountered. Joshua must find a way to put pressure on Usyk, but not recklessly.

It has to be smart pressure, and he has to get Usyk uncomfortable there, like Chisora ​​did. But AJ definitely has better technical abilities than Chisora, and he can bother Usyk by hitting.

Usyk stays outside, constantly touching you with his push and consuming the energy of your opponents with his physical presence.

Usyk is very good at keeping a distance where he can take a small step back and then come back to carry quickly. With his presence, his actions, touching you with a stroke of his southern paw, he can make you lead with shots and then he will be able to repel the stroke.

Usyk stays outside, constantly touching you with his push and consuming the energy of your opponents with his physical presence. You always feel threatened – and that’s where he’s good.

Carl Froch

This is definitely the most technically challenging battle for Joshua because Usyk is so technically savvy in all areas of boxing. They compare Usyk to Vasili Lomachenko, who has similar skills.

Usyk and Joshua are both Olympic gold, but Usyk became the undisputed champion of cruiser emphasis in a division that was hot at the time.

AJ has to use his size and strength because boxing is a weight-dependent sport for some reason, and Usyk is not a natural heavyweight. If he goes into a technical battle with Usyk – and tries to be smart and use his jump and not hurt the way to get a points decision, then he’s probably the only way to lose.

George Groves

Anthony Joshua defeats nicely Wladimir Klitschko and Alexander Povetkin, who are both technically very good but may not have been at their peak. Usyk may be at its best. He has had two fights in the heavyweight, but he has spent some time in the heavyweight and may be a real threat to Joshua.

Usyk is a southern paw that is a challenge, but he’s really good on his feet to navigate inside and out of range. He’s fast enough to cause problems in the heavyweight series and creates angles that can distract all the big guys in this division because they’re never so mobile.

Usyk can also set a reasonable pace and he is also patient in his work. He doesn’t want to take you on the first round, he doesn’t try to load shots. Usyk knows that it takes a few rounds to set himself up, dress his opponent down and then he seems to offend you with punches in grapes.

Johnny Nelson

Oleksandr Usyk is the best fighter we have ever seen in the ring with AJ. Successfully wise – amateur and professional – in style he is the best fighter with whom AJ gets in the ring.

Not everyone realizes that. People might think, “AJ gets in the ring with a cruise weight,” but I think he’s the best. He’s just a winner all the time.

Usyk puts a lot of pressure on the fighters without doing much. He makes the fighters think they’re putting pressure on them, makes them throw shots they don’t want to throw, and makes them work at a pace they don’t want to work on. That’s where he’s very good, and that’s what he did to Tony Bellewille.

Remember, I saw this guy sparring with Wladimir Klitschko as he prepared for Tyson Fury – and he saw Klitschko’s nightmares.

David Coldwell

Usyk is technically the best fighter Joshua has ever encountered. Obviously you can say, “What about Wladimir Klitschko?” But at the stage of Klitschko’s career, he was a little passive and a little older.

Usyk style must be the ultimate nightmare in AJ’s style history. But for the heavyweight series, Usyk has been much more predictable and much easier to achieve than the one he was as a cruiser weight.

He’s back to work with Vasily Lomachenko’s father, so I think he’ll be a little more stylish. Usyk returns to the pace, angles, and unbeatable action that shines in people’s brains and makes them make mistakes. Makes them work harder than they want and throw when they don’t want to throw.

AJ has to use his size, but he has to use it intelligently. A good snappy, sharp punch keeps him unbalanced as well as body shots. He can’t go there just as a caveman, as Marco Huck did, because you’re playing into Usyk’s hands as predictable. AJ has to be smart, set traps himself because Usyk has to bear.

Watch Joshua v Usk on Saturday live at the Sky Sports Box Office starting at 6 p.m. Book it with the Sky remote or book it online here. Non-Sky TV subscribers can book and see it here.