Comments Thread For: Joshua Advises Bellew: Counter-Punching is How You KO Usyk

[apollocreed]

I like Bellew. Think he has had a very good career. But Usyk has been on my personal P4P for several years, and I have him as a top 3 fighter in the business right now, behind Crawford and Lomachenko. I could argue based on resume' he has a case to be #1.

Usyk is going to toy with Bellew. Can't think of a better way to sum up my predication on this one.

I'd pick Usyk to win, but no way do I agree he's top 3 p4p, let alone 1. He may have all the belts, but what top opponents has he actually beaten to earn top p4p status? To be in that list you need to have big wins on your resume, not just belts.
Cruiserwight has always been the worst division in Boxing, hands down - with the odd exception like Holyfield, there are no world class fighters there. It's mostly just fat light heavyweights. Usyk wouldn't stand out anywhere near as much if he was fighting in a stacked division like 147 or 154, it's just rare to see a skillful southpaw cruiser.

[apollocreed]

... actually Beterbiev is a Cruiserweight (he lost twice vs Usyk at 200 lbs) who is operating at Light Heavyweight instead -- that's why he was able to easily go to the body vs smaller opponents at 175...

Beterbiev isn't a cruiser - he's short for a light heavy, he'd be a midget at cruiser.

[_Rexy_]

... Andre Ward was hugely exceptional, though... because of his "buddy" Andre Dirrell, Ward competed at 81 kg (178.6 lb) in the ams... then he "boiled down" at 160 lb. in the pros...

Andre Ward was an exceptional athlete!...

My arguement was that everyone does it, since Ams has same day weigh in and multiple bouts per day. I just used Ward as an example since he was also LHW

[uppercut510]

ive seen usyk buckled on a few occasions by clean shots, he has crazy endurance so he recovers fast, but he can he hit n hurt!

[sidefx996]

I think people should chill out a bit with all of this... I'm not a Joshua fan but I'm gonna go out on a limb and say it's an answer to a question he was asked about in an interview. It's not like he held a press conference to SPECIFICALLY address this issue. Boxers get asked for their opinions all the time about other fights. He happens to be the Heavyweight Champion so I'd imagine he may get asked about these sorts of things from time to time. It's not some sort of gospel as if they were to meet I think most agree it's a distinct possibility that Usyk could box Joshua's head off for 12 rounds just as Fury could. But until any of that happens (and even if it were to happen) I feel the man is entitled to give his take on things without getting crucified.

[MDPopescu]

... actually Beterbiev is a Cruiserweight (he lost twice vs Usyk at 200 lbs) ...

Beterbiev isn't a cruiser - he's short for a light heavy, he'd be a midget at cruiser.

... I didn't say he was big or short, I only said that he was campaigning at the Cruiserweight (2011-2012)...

[Split Decision]

Beterbiev found success going to the body. If I were Joshua I’d be looking there first. Joshua doesn’t strike me as the counter punching type.

u must have never seen aj if u think that

[champion4ever]

Counter punching won't benefit Bellew none against Usyk. It's because Usyk is a boxer/counterpuncher himself. Moreover, given his southpaw stance and all his constant movement and fighting off the back foot; A scientific boxer like Usyk will be very hard to set traps against because he is the lighter and quicker boxer of the two.

If anyone's getting countered it's going to be Bellew because Tony is typically a slugger who likes to lead and fight off the front foot while being the aggressor. Therefore, if Bellew decides to follow Joshua's advice by not engaging, then it is going to be a very boring fight in which loses on the scorecards.

[champion4ever]

... AJ seems somehow worried about Usyk soon coming after him!...

Those were exactly my sentiments as well. If Usyk does decide to challenge Joshua, I am afraid that he is going to have to knock him out in order to win the fight. It's because I just don't see anybody defeating Anthony Joshua on the scorecards in England.

[MDPopescu]

Those were exactly my sentiments as well. If Usyk does decide to challenge Joshua, I am afraid that he is going to have to knock him out in order to win the fight. It's because I just don't see anybody defeating Anthony Joshua on the scorecards in England.

... "One reason we have agreed to fight Bellew is to get to Joshua," Usyk was quoted. "It is exactly part of the strategy and why we have this co-operation with Eddie Hearn.

"He has Tony, he has Anthony, he has Dillian Whyte and a couple more heavyweights.

"It's the best way, the shortest - not the easiest - way to fight Anthony."