AJ, who will be watching closely, has made his prediction for the Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk fight, and he’s picked an outright winner!
In a recent interview with talkSPORT, former two-time heavyweight champion of the world Anthony Joshua gave his prediction for the 18th of May, and he believes that Oleksandr Usyk has enough to get the job done vs Tyson Fury.
“I’ve fought Usyk, so I can only speak from what I’ve experienced with him – a phenomenal fighter, I would say he’s going to do a really good job. I’ve never fought Fury, so I can’t speak about what it’s like to face him. Only speaking on what I know, I have to say Usyk will be victorious.”
The pair were originally meant to fight on the 17th of February, but that fight date fell through after Fury suffered a cut above the eye in sparring just weeks before fight night. Due to the serious nature of the cut, the bout was delayed until a new date was announced, with a serious financial punishment should either of them withdraw this time around.
Anthony Joshua’s History With Oleksandr Usyk
AJ lost both fights to Usyk
Oleksandr Usyk cruised to victory twice when beating AJ and will be looking to add yet another name to his English hit-list in May when he comes up against Tyson Fury. He’s also beaten Tony Bellew and Daniel Dubois in his career, so he’s got a great record against Brits has Usyk.
The Ukrainian beat Joshua at the first time of asking in a unanimous decision at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in August 2021, where he first gained four out of the five heavyweight belts. Joshua and Hearn were adamant on a rematch, leading to the duo battling it out again a year later in Saudi Arabia, where the former cruiserweight once again led Joshua to a schooling.
Joshua and his promoter Eddie Hearn will be sure to have a keen eye on this fight as AJ will be looking to take on the winner. Joshua and his long-time rival Tyson Fury have been in discussions over the past few years to fight on several occasions, however, the talks have never led to an official announcement. Yet, with the increase in fights over in Riyadh, and His Excellency Turki Alalshikh making some of the world’s most highly anticipated fights, boxing fans are hopeful of seeing the British heavyweights battle it out in the near future.
‼️ Anthony Joshua has predicted that Oleksandr Usyk will beat Tyson Fury on May 18th: “I've fought Usyk so I can only speak on what I've experienced with him – phenomenal fighter, I would say he's gonna do a really good job. I've never fought Fury, so I can't speak on what it's…
— Michael Benson (@MichaelBensonn) April 27, 2024
Questions Over Tyson Fury’s Condition
Well, that’s if it all goes to plan on the 18th of May for Fury. Fans of the heavyweight champion aren’t convinced he is coming into this fight in great shape and his lack of boxing in the past three years isn’t that of a champion. The Gypsy King was last seen fighting Franics Ngannou, where he scraped a dubious points victory after being knocked down in round three. Prior to this, his last fight against a somewhat credible boxer, was in late 2022 against seasoned pro Derek Chisora. Fury won by an expected TKO, but fans of the lineal champ will surely be nervous come the 18th of May.
As expected, though, fans may see the fight between the two Brits a lot sooner, so long as Fury and Joshua keep winning, but there is a two-way rematch clause in place for the Fury vs Usyk fight and this might mean Joshua has to keep on his toes a little bit longer.
