‘Phenomenal fighter’ – Anthony Joshua predicts Oleksandr Usyk will beat Tyson Fury and explains why

Anthony Joshua has told talkSPORT he is picking Oleksandr Usyk to beat Tyson Fury next month.

The two men will face off on May 18 in Saudi Arabia in the first undisputed heavyweight world title clash of the four-belt era.

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They were originally scheduled to face each other on February 17, but the fight was pushed back a month after Fury suffered a cut in his fight.

Joshua will have a vested interest in the fight, as he is aiming for a fight against the winner.

Speaking to talkSPORT’s Jon Jackson ahead of the Formula E Monaco E-Prix, Joshua gave his prediction for the blockbuster showdown: “Well, look, I fought Oleksandr Usyk, so I can only speak of what I experienced from him.

“A phenomenal fighter, he does everything wonderfully and I would say he is going to do a very good job.

“I’ve never fought Tyson Fury, so I can’t really speak to how he’s going to play or what it means to face him, so speaking only of what I know, I would have to say that Oleksandr Usyk will be victorious.”

AJ fought Usyk twice, losing both fights over the distance.

When they first met in September 2021 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Joshua was no match for Usyk as he was completely dispatched.

But in their rematch 11 months later, the Watford powerhouse showed marked improvements and even received the nod on one of the three judges’ scorecards, although the consensus was that he lost the fight by two to four rounds.

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Fury and Joshua have been in talks to face each other several times, to no avail.

Still, it appears boxing fans will likely attend the fight sooner rather than later due to Saudi Arabia’s involvement.

His Excellency Turki Alalshikh, Chairman of the General Entertainment Authority of Saudi Arabia, recently named Fury vs. Joshua among the top three fights he hopes to make in the future alongside Terence Crawford vs. Canelo Alvarez and Artur Beterbiev vs. David Benavidez.

Fury and Usyk signed a two-way rematch clause in their contracts, so it’s likely Joshua will have to wait until their deal is fulfilled.

But providing Fury wins both fights and Joshua continues to raise his hand, the all-British showdown could easily take place in 2025.

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