Anthony Joshua is predicted to weigh in at 234lbs ahead of this weekend’s fight against Oleksandr Usyk, according to Sporting Index, which would be his lightest for a fight since 2013.
AJ’s slighter frame has been widely discussed ahead of his upcoming heavyweight title bout, due to take place at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium on Saturday night.
And the betting firm have crunched the numbers and expect the WBA, IBF and WBO champion to weigh in 6lbs lighter than his last fight against Kubrat Pulev in December 2020.
Joshua’s lightest weight came back in 2013 during the early years of his career, at 229lbs, however he’s still backed to tip the scales heavier than Usyk at tomorrow’s official weigh-in.
Sporting Index also expect AJ to win the fight in the ninth round of the bout this weekend, predicting the fight will last 26 minutes in total.
Neville Burdock, Head of Trading at Sporting Index, said: “Anthony Joshua has built a reputation as a heavyweight fighter with a huge frame and big muscles, which has helped him to land many knockouts with his explosive punching style.
“However, it looks like the heavyweight champion has stuck with the more streamlined figure he adopted for the Andy Ruiz Jr rematch and Kubrat Pulev fight, and we expect him to record his lowest weight for a fight in eight years at 234lbs at tomorrow’s weigh-in.”
Boxing – Anthony Joshua v Oleksandr Usyk
https://www.sportingindex.com/spread-betting/boxing/world/group_a.5e72bdc3-bf64-4672-b57e-e426074f917e/anthony-joshua-v-oleksandr-usyk
