The promoter of Oleksandr Usyk, Alex Krassyuk, is very confident that the Ukrainian will come through against Anthony Joshua on September 25th in their world championship heavyweight contest. The fight will take place at Tottenham Hotspur stadium.
Muhammad Ali was used as a prime example as to why Usyk could upset the apple cart.
Krassyuk said:
“The rematch is something that is not obligatory in the mandatory fight,” Krassyuk told MyBettingSites. “But we accepted the very fair conditions to agree to it.
“Oleksandr is very confident in his victory over AJ and how he will beat him – so therefore he easily agreed for the second bout because his mindset will be even more favourable after he wins the first.
“There were no other options for Oleksandr after he became the undisputed champion and defended against Tony Bellew. There was nothing else to prove at cruiserweight and staying there would for sure be a stagnation or even a step back.
“Now Alex has a huge motivation to get up at 5am every day and work as hard as he can for he has an objective in front of him. After just two bouts at heavyweight, Usyk signed the contract for a multiple belt showdown with the king of the heavyweights.”
He added: “I must say for those who do not see the clear reality that Usyk is a heavyweight – Oleksandr is the same size, weight, reach as his idol, ‘The Greatest’ Muhammed Ali.
“Can anyone say Ali, the best of all time, was not a true heavyweight? So there is no problem there, if Ali can be beat the best at that size, so can Usyk.
“For AJ we wish him only the best, we wish him a wonderful training camp with no injuries or any other troubles.
“I respect him so much for his achievements in boxing, for his humble behavior, being such a massive star, for his bright personality. But let the best man win in September and then we will do it again in the rematch.”
While the comparison with “The Greatest” Muhammad Ali may capture the imaginations of the casual fans who have little interest in rigorously following boxing, the knowledgeable would surely realise that it is a rather questionable one!
The main issue is that Ali campaigned in the heavyweight division for all of his career. Usyk only stepped up into the weight class in 2019 with a less than impressive victory over Chazz Witherspoon. Dereck Chisora was the next victim. But until the frayed Finchley fighter’s tank began to run dry by the 5th, Usyk struggled to find answers.
My second and final criticism is when Krassyuk stated that Ali beat the best at his size. Yes, that is true. But it has also been well established by now that the heavyweight division has also seen boxers who are now a lot bigger and heavier. Evolution has certainly been evident in this weight class over the years.
Like I said, using Muhammad Ali’s name will do a lot to get the attention of the masses. But when critically analyzed using actual facts, it does not really stand up to scrutiny. That does not suggest that Oleksandr Usyk does not have a chance against Joshua. One punch can change things in a second! It is a genuine battle pitting skill vs brawn.
Hopefully it will be a fight that turns out to be what the sport needs.
