Anthony Joshua, the British boxer of Nigerian descent, has weighed in on the upcoming heavyweight showdown between Ukrainian champion Oleksandr Usyk and WBC titleholder Tyson Fury. Set to unfold in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on May 18, Joshua, who will be observing from the sidelines following his back-to-back defeats to Usyk in 2022, shared his predictions.
Originally scheduled for December 2023, the bout was postponed to allow Fury to recover from injuries sustained in his victory over crossover heavyweight boxer Francis Ngannou in September 2023.
Expressing his thoughts on the impending clash, Joshua refrained from commenting extensively on Fury’s abilities, citing his lack of firsthand experience against him in the ring. Instead, he focused on Usyk, whom he described as a phenomenal fighter based on his own encounters with him.
“I’ve fought Usyk, so I can only speak on what I’ve experienced with him—a phenomenal fighter. I would say he’s going to do a really good job,” Joshua conveyed to TalkSport. “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.”
Fury, holding the WBC title, aims to dethrone Usyk, who currently holds the WBA, WBO, and IBF titles, in a bid to become the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world.
Looking ahead, speculation arises that Joshua may confront the winner of the bout in a rematch either by the year’s end or early 2025.
