Why is Joshua practically not believed?
The first fight between Oleksandr Usyk and Anthony Joshua in September 2021 turned out to be extremely disappointing for the Briton.
He never managed to adapt to the maneuverable left-handed opponent, which was uncomfortable for him, and lost, miraculously avoiding a knockout in the final round.
And although the judges' cards do not speak of the total advantage of the Ukrainian, it was felt during the fight.
The Watford native thought he was capable of outboxing an opponent and was sorely mistaken, unable to counter him with almost nothing but a few heavy hits in the middle of the battle.
According to Joshua, since the last fight, he changed camp and training location, managed to take a couple of lessons from Floyd Mayweather Jr., and also began to cooperate with a new specialist.
Rob McCracken was replaced by Robert Garcia, best known for his work with former P4P No. 1 Nonito Donaire and former four-weight world title holder Mikey Garcia.
The problem is that the mentor has never dealt with heavyweight star representatives before.
And this also does not inspire optimism in the fans of the British.
After all, Anthony needed not only to close many gaps, but also to find the keys to an undefeated enemy.
And while many doubt that Joshua was able to draw the right conclusions and approach the return battle not only with the right tactical plan, but also with the proper psychological attitude.
Moreover, they do not believe in the prospects of the ex-world champion, not only in Russia, but also abroad.
Usik's well-known colleagues Timothy Bradley and Amir Khan, Artur Beterbiev's mentor Mark Ramsey and the head of the Top Rank promotional company Bob Arum have already given preference to Usyk.
Everyone is talking about Anthony's lack of both the necessary boxing skills to fight Alexander and the proper mental qualities.
Bookmakers agree with this, evaluating the chances of the applicant with a coefficient of 2.7.
In what form Usyk approaches the fight?
The Ukrainian is the favorite of the upcoming fight, but his 20th victory in his career cannot be considered a foregone conclusion.
There are several reasons for this.
One of them is that so far no one can say what psychological state he is in.
The events in Ukraine could not but leave an imprint on the athlete and it is difficult to answer whether he managed to fully concentrate on the fight or not.
According to Alexander's actions, it is difficult to say anything for sure, but one should not exclude the existence of problems.
According to the well-known promoter Dmitry Salita, the geopolitical situation could both motivate Usyk and provoke misalignment.
In light of this, it is difficult to assess the behavior of a fighter who appeared at a press conference in the form of a Cossack, and after a duel of views sang a Ukrainian folk song.
The second reason lies in the physical form.
Last time, Alexander set a personal record and for the first time showed more than 100 kg on the scales.
According to Khan, in the camp, Usyk scored another 15 and seemed much more powerful than usual, although at the weigh-in he returned to his usual values \u200b\u200b(100.5).
It is still difficult to say if he did the cut and if he will return the lost mass before entering the ring, but in theory this could be a dangerous decision.
Undoubtedly, the blow will become much more powerful, but there is a risk of losing stamina.
And given his style, that could be fatal.
Of course, if the champion does not set himself the task of knocking out the challenger at all costs and putting an end to their confrontation.
How can Joshua take over?
It is not surprising that many see the British's chances of winning in an open fight, when both opponents will go forward and exchange in the center of the ring.
Previous experience has shown that Joshua is no match for Usyk at a distance, and it is unlikely that he has managed to make tremendous progress over the past 11 months.
Unlike the Ukrainian, he was never a super technical athlete, and his movements left much to be desired, while Alexander built a career on this.
It was the phenomenal footwork that helped him in many ways to win Olympic gold, and then become the undisputed heavyweight champion.
The only question is whether Joshua is able to “wake up the beast” again and start a fight in the ring, which is what Mike Tyson demands from him.
In the past, the Briton was famous for his flamboyant style and preferred to cut with opponents - just remember his victories over Dillian Whyte and Wladimir Klitschko.
But the knockout loss to Andy Ruiz dealt a serious blow to his confidence and made him forget about his roots.
One of the main intrigues lies in his willingness to risk everything again and try to fight in the kill or be killed mode.
If Joshua can put pressure on Usyk, deprive him of space and keep getting closer, then he will have a chance to succeed.
This was clearly demonstrated by Derek Chisora, who throughout the duel with Alexander acted in a dirty manner and regularly provoked a clinch.
Then the Ukrainian did not appear in the best light and prevailed by the decision of the judges - 117:111, 115:113, 115:113.
Will Joshua end his career if he loses?
Before the rematch, many are wondering about the possible departure of the British from the sport.
And this is surprising, because in October he will turn 33 years old - at this age, many heavyweights are just reaching their peak.
However, a third loss in his last five bouts could well make Joshua consider quitting.
So says his compatriot, ex-champion in two weight categories David Haye.
According to him, Anthony may not want to continue to fight, knowing that he is not the best in the world.
Indeed, Usyk's second loss would not only deal a major blow to Joshua's legacy, but could also close many doors for him.
It will be practically impossible to organize a superfight with Tyson Fury, who promised to become one of the highest grossing in the history of not only British, but also world boxing.
In addition, in an attempt to regain the belts, he will have to go through a difficult path and fight again for the title of contender.
And whether he is ready to go down to this level again is a big question.
At the same time, many believe that even in case of failure, Joshua will have enough reasons to continue to fight.
At least for the money.
Anthony will still remain one of the most stellar and recognizable fighters of his generation and will certainly be able to receive more than one big fee.
For example, for a rematch with Alexander, he will earn about $40 million, not counting a percentage of the sale of paid broadcasts.
Does winning guarantee a place in the Hall of Fame?
Alexander can already be safely called a sports legend.
He is the only boxer in history who won Olympic gold and the title of absolute world champion in the category up to 91 kg, and then became the strongest in heavyweight.
This alone is enough to put him on a par with George Foreman and Joe Frazier, and a second victory over Anthony may well make him compare with athletes of the caliber of Tyson and Muhammad Ali.
This practically guarantees him a place in the Hall of Fame.
True, the manager of the Ukrainian Alexander Krasyuk believes that for this he needs to collect all the trophies in the most prestigious category.
And that involves winning the missing WBC belt held by Tyson Fury.
The problem is that a few months ago, the Briton once again announced his retirement.
True, neither many fans nor Usyk himself believed in this.
According to him, he personally communicated with a potential opponent several times and has no doubts about holding a duel.