Anthony Joshua will be facing a “real heavyweight” when he defends his world titles against Oleksandr Usyk later this year.
That is the viewpoint of the Ukranian’s promoter, Alexander Krassyuk, who has warned that the cruiserweight version of Usyk has now been replaced by a genuine heavyweight contender.
“He is looking good. He is very determined, very focused,” Krassyuk claimed. “He worked hard over the last two months making himself a real heavyweight, which he is now.”
The K2 Promotions head confirmed that the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is the most likely destination for a bout that is expected to take place on 25th September.
Joshua is yet to fight this year, with his last outing a ninth-round stoppage of Kubrat Pulev back in December. That came off the back of his redemption night in Saudi Arabia that saw him wrestle back his WBA, IBF and WBO belts from Andy Ruiz.
It is now two years since ‘AJ’ lost his titles to the Mexican on that incredible Madison Square Garden evening, but his change in approach since then makes him an entirely different proposition to any challengers looking to claim his titles.
In Usyk, he faces a fighter who is widely regarded as a pound-for-pound great, a list that Joshua doesn’t feature on.
Although the majority of boxing fans were desperate to see the undisputed British bout between Joshua and Tyson Fury, Krassyuk has warned against looking beyond his fighter.