Hearn: Joshua-Usyk Sept 25

Promoter Eddie Hearn has announced the date for the showdown between WBA, IBF, WBO heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua and WBO mandatory challenger Oleksandr Usyk. “September 25 is the date,” Hearn stated on Instagram Live. The new 62,850-seat Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London is the frontrunner to host the bout.

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  • Will size and power differ more than skills av movement? That is the big question.

    12 rounds of pressure in every round, second and movement will be too much in the long run for Usyk.

    Sooner or later I see Joshua take the fight to where he wants it.

    To be honest it is difficult not to picture a Joshua KO or TKO in the second half of the fight.

    I hope Usyk surprises, I like him (and Joshua), for the fans, for a good fight and I would love to see it go the distance and the scoring-cards, but I do not see it happens.

    • I wouldn’t say that Joshua really applies the same sort of pressure as somebody like Derek Chisora, who is absolutely relentless.
      While it wasn’t easy, Usyk was able to deal with that.
      I would say that Joshua tends more towards counter-punching and fighting tall rather than chasing after opponents, so I could picture this being a more tactical fight and not at all a guaranteed victory for Joshua.

      • Joshua hits harder than Chisora. Chisora may look like he’s quicker but he isn’t and he has pillows for hands compared to Joshua

        • Joshua doesn’t apply the same pressure as Chisora.
          He might be quicker, might be more powerful, but he doesn’t come forward and throw punches like Chisora.
          It was ugly, but Usyk stood up to it and won.
          I think that he has the mobility and counterpunching ability to beat Joshua.
          Obviously, nothing is guaranteed, but I would not be shocked to see Usyk win.

          • 100 accurate. Dillon Whyte would be able to apply the pressure these Joshua fans are thinking he can duplicate. But we all know that’s not true.

    • 12 rounds of pressure?
      From Joshua?
      Have you seen the guy fight?
      Usyk’s fast hands will be way to fast for Joshua (aka James Thunder) to handle.
      No one should be surprised by an easy win for Usyk.

  • This one looks good. If Usyk can make sure he stays away from getting hit square with the right he has a good shot at winning. Joshua’s hand speed is not very good. He usually gives up some early rounds due to this. I think Usyk can stand up to Joshua and outpoint him. We shall see in Sep25

    • Good point! I wonder the same thing if Usyk can handle the heavy counters by Joshua especially over the course of a few rounds. Joshua does have a powerful uppercut and counter-right hook. One thing for sure; This is not the Cruiserweight division where Usyk came from. The Heavyweights are a bigger step up in power and size.

      • I agree Scoob. I will say I think Usyk won’t get hit with an uppercut. He seems to put that punch in the sock drawer. Joshua just has that power if he hits anywhere on the at head it could end it. But it m so impressed with how Usyk holds his hands up.

  • I wouldn’t count Usyk out. They wanted to fight Joshua for a reason. This is a very interesting fight

    • I don’t count Usyk out, but I do feel this is his biggest assignment yet as a fighter. Usyk is a pressure fighter, not a one-punch KO artist. That being said, he must box smart and dodge the bombs these bigger men throw. This is new unchartered waters he is in amongst the heavyweights. Usyk is an accomplished fighter, but boy, this division has heavier machine gun power than the cruiserweights that’s for sure!

  • Usyk vs Wilder 2022 for the Undisputed Championship not saying it’s going to happen but Fury and Joshua don’t have no walk in the Park fighter they better bring there A game if there going to fight in the Spring of 20222 but we will see heavyweight divisions is something else

    • I also agree that there is significant probability for both to win and face each other next. But i believe chance of usyk against joshua is at least double when compared with chance of wilder against fury. If both fights go to distance, usyk and fury have higher winning chances

  • Usyk is an unknown in the HW division. If you think along the lines of winning a close decision vs Chisora then AJ should be too much for him.
    But there’s a real possibility that Usyk has much more than he showed in his previous 2 fights and that AJ underestimates him.
    There is a rematch clause even though Usyk is a mandatory.
    I hope Hearn pushes for Whyte to face the Wilder/Fury winner for a number of reasons

    • That’s a bold statement right there. I do think he could ring Joshua up a bit but I don’t think that’ll happen until late if and when Joshua slows from chasing. But Usyk might be tired from movement so they could cancel out. It would be a huge payout for an early Usyk ko.

      • Agreed, if Usyk wins by KO by the 3rd, I guarantee you he has won the lottery as a marketable fighter! In fact, I am sure he will make it on every news network for dethroning Joshua.

    • I often agree with you but not this time….but of course maybe I’m wrong.

    • I think the biggest question in my book is…Can Usyk take a right hand by Joshua? Joshua has enough power to switch a fight up in seconds if he can land it flush on the kill switch! LOL

  • Awesome! The fact that a venue hasn’t been nailed down makes me hesitant to accept this fight in its finality, but at least they have a date and signed contracts ( I hope)

  • I’m predicting the unexpected, a KO win for Usyk!

    • Joshua couldn’t even catch the running away obese Andy Ruiz in their second fight. How is he going to catch Usyk?

    • But really….how unexpected would it be? He was ko’d by a dude areola knocked down twice.

  • Joshua should be able to win this fight with just his jab. I think in the end, this fight is going to be easier than expected for Joshua and then we will have the flooded comments of Usyk is small, is a cruiserweight and never looked good as a heavyweight.

    • I don’t see Usyk losing a fight to just a jab. He’s way too intelligent and elusive for that.

  • To me, Usyk appears to be an adaptable fighter who raises his level to the occasion. One of the big things that’s always stuck with me is the praise by wlad klitschko. I think usyk will shock the world. Wouldn’t be surprised if he beat fury too. I always thought he’d beat wilder.

  • Usyk will stay in there and do alright for 5 -6 rounds slapping joshua once in a while..but then Joshua will start landing harder rights and lefts too much for Usyk..9th _10th round Tko…

  • Usyk is an amateur legend, he cleaned the cruiserweight division pretty easily and that’s why i’m not going to underestimate him against AJ. We know Usyk is skilled, has fast hands and feet and that he is durable. His trainer is Mr Lomachenko Sr and i’m sure they are preparing a surprise for AJ. I’m going with a AJ win on points or late stoppage but wouldn’t be surprised of an Usyk UD win. We’ll see, hope it’s not going to be a boring and tactical fight..

  • I am laughing at some of these casuals all praying for Usyk to win and Wilder to win his trilogy.
    AJ wins this by late TKO and Fury will retire Wilder.
    AJ vs Fury in the undisputed British Global fight.

  • A faded Chisora took Usyk 12 rounds, so how does Usyk beat a younger seasoned, much bigger heavyweight like AJ?
    Usyk may cause some problems for AJ being a slick southpaw, but he doesn’t have the experience to weather the storm when AJ starts landing those lethal combinations.

  • Usyk is overrated, how he is number 4 pound for pound is beyond me. The only reason he may make some noise at heavyweight is because this is not a strong era for heavyweights. Usyk vs Holyfield, Usyk vs Tyson, Usyk vs Holmes, Usyk vs Bowe, Usyk vs Lewis…lol. Funny how he’s referred to on this platform as slick, a mover, a counterpuncher, skilled, etc, but if it’s Mayweather, Ward, Hopkins, Andrade, or Stevenson to name a few that fall into that category of fighter; they’re boring, can’t punch, run and hold, etc. The bias is ridiculous, stop it. Joshua all day.

    • DMV
      Agree totally agreed, too much bias, especially alot of US Wilder fans just want to see AJ lose and Wilder win.

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