Comments Thread For: Usyk Stamps His Greatness With Impressive Win Over Joshua

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Yeah Usyk is a beast!!

Easily top 3 p4p fighter, certainly has more credentials than the likes of Crawford.

[Line305b]

he has the full package expect maybe knockout power

You have to go with what his trainer and he himself after the bout said - "I wanted to try and knock him out early, but my corner returned me to my senses". It is a conscious strategy choice not to invest in punches, not to trade, to pile up lighter strikes on the move and have options to counteract to whatever your opponent does, rather than try and take him away at the earliest opportunity. I guess if he wanted to, he could be a puncher. With his weight/frame/accuracy/speed it would be weird if he would not drop anyone in the division with a good shot or several. But that's not the fight phylosophy his trainers and he himself stick to, as it is probably far more risky and would actually give away some of the advantages of his current style to his opponents that are unable to match his speed, angles and punch/reaction output.

[Line305b]

People in the boxing world knew there was a better than good chance this fight would play out exactly as it did. They were simply in denial publicly out of necessity. They are essentially shills for the money engine of which AJ is the primary product. Even as the fight was unfolding, the commentators were ooing and ahhing over every punch AJ landed on Usyks guard while Usyk snapped his head back with straight lefts at will. I said it before the the fight, AJ’s jab ain’t all that. Usyk was able to step outside his front foot and make him pay every time he tried to throw it.
All the trainers, conditioning coaches, nutritionists in the world, will not change the result in the second fight.

This whole discussion would be very different IF Joshua would find that one lucky punch that he nearly landed on Usyk in the middle rounds. He could have landed it in the later rounds as well. Usyk is not unhittable. I am sure Usyk is probably by far not as certain as some of the commenters in his victory in the rematch. Joshua and his team saw what Usyk brings to the match, and they will make adjustments and will prepare. And they will be as close to a knock-out punch in the second match as they were in the first one. Usyk can mitigate the risk of such a punch to some degree, but this is heavyweight, and he is at a significant reach and some power disadvantage. So no matter how well you box, you are still just one blink away from eating that punch. It might also be that Usyk actually learned from the Joshua fight less than Joshua did. Usyk came in heavier than expected, but he did not give away too much in terms of speed and punch output. So he was heavier, but still fast, which may have been a surprise factor that gave him the advantage. In the rematch, Joshua will be ready, and will have a better strategy, while Usyk probably will be more or less the same. Based on that, I would rate Joshua chances to beat Usyk in the rematch quite a bit higher than 50/50. He would still be favorite to win the rematch, and Usyk still be an underdog.

[MONGOOSE66]

I saw a AJ who either underestimated Usyk or just looked flat that night (unmotivated). I don’t think but KNOW he could beat Usyk. I just see a man whose bored with boxing. U just cant walk in that ring and not be HUNGRY.

[Rapscallion]

Best boxing article I've read in a very long time. Thanks, Corey.

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This whole discussion would be very different IF Joshua would find that one lucky punch that he nearly landed on Usyk in the middle rounds. He could have landed it in the later rounds as well. Usyk is not unhittable. I am sure Usyk is probably by far not as certain as some of the commenters in his victory in the rematch. Joshua and his team saw what Usyk brings to the match, and they will make adjustments and will prepare. And they will be as close to a knock-out punch in the second match as they were in the first one. Usyk can mitigate the risk of such a punch to some degree, but this is heavyweight, and he is at a significant reach and some power disadvantage. So no matter how well you box, you are still just one blink away from eating that punch. It might also be that Usyk actually learned from the Joshua fight less than Joshua did. Usyk came in heavier than expected, but he did not give away too much in terms of speed and punch output. So he was heavier, but still fast, which may have been a surprise factor that gave him the advantage. In the rematch, Joshua will be ready, and will have a better strategy, while Usyk probably will be more or less the same. Based on that, I would rate Joshua chances to beat Usyk in the rematch quite a bit higher than 50/50. He would still be favorite to win the rematch, and Usyk still be an underdog.

Joshua came nowhere near to stopping Usyk tho, i don't even think he hurt him.

I agree that Joshua only has a punchers chance of beating Usyk.

[Flabble Scrote]

Joshua came nowhere near to stopping Usyk tho, i don't even think he hurt him.

I agree that Joshua only has a punchers chance of beating Usyk.

Usyk has a decent chin, he took a couple of flush right hands but of course he wobbled Anthony bambi on several occasions

Joshua will have to target the body in rematch, his only chance

[Tatabanya]

His ability to defend Joshua was more of a potential, not a given. He had to work quite hard, and changed himself quite a bit to come to the fight the way he did. His conditioning trainer mentioned on the Ukrainian live show that "Usyk moving ability is lower, like 8/10 of his maximum" due to weight and muscle gain, so there were some quite conscious trade-offs Usyk was willing to accept. He also mentioned they were in camp for like 8 months for this fight (not knowing it would be Joshua in the end), and that Usyk has shown exceptional discipline in showing up and investing in training. This is something that many in Ukraine suspect Lomachenko may have failed to do for his fight with Lopez, just let off the gas a bit. He also mentioned Usyk had problems with settling on the right trainer, and had to work for a while without a firm trainer, etc. So, his victory was not a given, and is not an automatic extension from his cruiser weight fight form days, and without major adjustments and non-stop work for as long as he did, he would not have won.

Excellent analysis.

I became almost certain that Usyk would win after looking at his focused eyes and overall calmness in the days leading to the fight.

[Line305b]

Joshua came nowhere near to stopping Usyk tho, i don't even think he hurt him.

I agree that Joshua only has a punchers chance of beating Usyk.

Well, look at Usyk face, and remember some of the middle rounds. He was close, just did not manage to stop. It is not only puncher chance, he could try to do what others were advising for big fighter vs small - smother, fight dirty, push, hang on Usyk, tire him out, etc. I think Usyk was not expecting a boxing match so much, so he put on weight and invested quite a bit of time in weight lifting, wrestling, etc, to increase stamina and have power to push back. I guess puncher chance + big man tactics would be what Joshua should do in the rematch, not try to box with a better boxer. I also suspect Joshua simply overlooked Usyk. He will not do that mistake again. I don't think Joshua's best form is necessarily better than Usyk's best form, but I won't be surprised one bit if in the rematch Joshua knocks him out.

[OldTerry]

I can't really remember usyk being mentioned as a pfp fighter which is odd? When genius is lavished on him?
I5s always nelo, crawford, lomo, spence, inayou

True but going forward he'll be included.