Joshua made an unexpected prediction for the Usyk fight
Anthony Joshua shared his prediction for the fight between Oleksandr Usyk and Rico Verhoeven and confidently backed the Ukrainian. The British boxer believes that Usyk will completely control the pace of the fight and could end it early, possibly in the first few rounds. This was reported by Boxing News Online.
Former world champion Anthony Joshua has spoken out about the upcoming fight between Oleksandr Usyk and Dutchman Rico Verhoeven, which will take place on May 23 in Egypt. The Briton gave the Ukrainian’s opponent almost no chance.
According to Joshua, Usyk will once again showcase his main strength—the ability to gradually “wear down” his opponent during the fight. The British boxer says the Ukrainian is so skilled in the ring that he forces his opponents to literally exhaust all their energy before the decisive rounds. “Usyk knows how to make his opponent waste his energy. To put it simply—it’s like in Street Fighter, when your health bar gradually depletes. I think he’ll just wear Verhoeven down,” Joshua said in a comment to Boxing News Online.
At the same time, the Brit unexpectedly suggested that the fight could end very quickly. In his opinion, Usyk is capable of winning by knockout before the halfway point of the bout. “I hope the fight lasts at least four rounds, because I want to enjoy the evening of boxing,” Joshua added.
The Usyk vs. Verhoeven fight will take place in Giza near the Egyptian pyramids and will be one of the biggest sporting events of the spring. The WBC heavyweight title will be on the line.
For Usyk, this will be another major title defense following victories over Tyson Fury and Joshua himself. Meanwhile, Rico Verhoeven, who has long dominated the world of kickboxing, will attempt to make a big name for himself in professional boxing. The main event of the evening is expected to begin around midnight Kyiv time. In Ukraine, the broadcast will be shown on DAZN and Kyivstar TV.
If he wins, Usyk’s next opponent could be mandatory WBC title challenger Agit Kabayel.
The bout between Oleksandr Usyk and Rico Verhoeven is scheduled for May 23, but the exact time of the Ukrainian’s entrance into the ring is being pushed back later and later due to a packed undercard. The bout between Oleksandr Usyk and Rico Verhoeven is scheduled for May 23, but the exact time of the Ukrainian’s entrance into the ring is being pushed back further and further due to a packed undercard.
Prior to this, Usyk and Verhoeven held a joint pre-fight press conference and another stare-down, where they openly expressed respect for one another but also their readiness for a tough fight. Both athletes emphasized that despite their different disciplines, they are united by a love of combat and competition.
The fight is expected to be broadcast in Ukraine by Kyivstar TV, and the bout itself is already being called one of the most intriguing matchups between representatives of different fighting styles in recent years.
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