Unified heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua 24-1 (22) will be face the most skilled boxer in his eight year professional career when he steps in the ring to face Ukrainian southpaw Oleksandr Usyk 18-0 (13) at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in Tottenham, England on September 25.
That’s the word from promoter Eddie Hearn, who rates the former undisputed cruiserweight champion very highly.
“Skillwise, he’s definitely the best fighter he’s faced,” the Matchroom Boxing boss said Eddie Hearn to SecondsOut.
“I mean, he’s a pound-for-pound top five fighter. Power-wise in the division, [Joshua has] fought some big punchers. Dillian Whyte, [Wladimir] Klitschko, Andy Ruiz as well and many others.
“[Kubrat] Pulev can punch as well. I don’t think Usyk carries the power of those guys, but he still carries power. It can be awkward this fight. It can be tricky.
“I don’t think Joshua buys into the ‘Too big, too strong.’ He doesn’t want to rely on his size in this fight. He wants to not only out-skill Usyk, but he wants to be able to compete with him on that level.
“I believe he will as well. This is a dangerous fight and I hope when AJ wins they give him the credit he deserves because I think his resume is second to none.”
The 31-year-old Joshua of Watford in England was on the verge of signing to face WBC heavyweight champion and countryman Tyson Fury 30-0-1 (21) in the northern summer before an independent arbitrator ruled Fury was contractually obliged to face old foe Deontay Wilder 42-1-1 (41) for a third time.
Usyk, 34, was waiting in the wings as the WBO mandatory contender for Joshua and jumped at the opportunity to face him. He has fought just twice at heavyweight since moving up in weight two years ago, defeating late replacement Chazz Witherspoon and gatekeeper Dereck Chisora on points.
At around 216 pounds and six-foot-three, Usyk is small for the division but what he lacks in size he makes up for in mobility and skill.
Joshua, who typically weighs in around 245 pounds, has previously said he will purposely come in lighter for this fight.
Hearn is not so sure.
“He didn’t look that lean yesterday, but he’s just a unit, isn’t he?” Hearn said Boxing Social.
“I don’t know what weight he’ll be, but my guess is he looks a similar kind of weight as the last Ruiz [237 pounds] fight or the Pulev [240 pounds] fight. It’s more about being boxing-ready.
“I think back in the day, a lot of the training was focused around my explosive stuff and lifting and stuff like that. Now it’s more focused on boxing.
“It’s the ultimate mentality because that’s what you do in the ring and I think it’s very smart what they’ve been working on. I didn’t see him with his top off, but he looks bloody big to me.”
