Oleksandr Usyk has studied Anthony Joshua’s devastating knockout at the hands of Andy Ruiz Jr. ahead of his world heavyweight title chance.
This weekend, the slick Ukrainian takes on AJ at Tottenham Stadium in London as the WBO’s mandatory challenger.
Usyk earned the spot due to his exceptional undisputed reign at the lower cruiserweight limit.
Despite his underdog status, Usyk will be taking as much as possible from Ruiz dumping Joshua on the canvas more than once at Madison Square Garden in 2019.
Promoter Alexander Krassyuk confirmed the plan of action.
ANDY RUIZ JR PLAN
“The fight with Andy Ruiz Jr. can be some sort of guide for any fighter, but AJ didn’t look proper in that fight,” Krassyuk told MyBettingSites.
“It was his debut in the United States. It was a late replacement of the opponent. He wasn’t prepared for that kind of fight.
“He lost by chance. Then in just three or four months, he corrected his mistake easily. He got his belts back.”
On Usyk being a dangerous southpaw for Joshua to figure out, Krassyuk added: “Joshua only lost once. But Joshua faced a Southpaw only once when he first became world champion.
“Let’s be fair, Charles Martin was lucky to get his belt without victory because his opponent was injured and didn’t make it to the end of the fight.
“Eddie Hearn was very smart to get that fight for AJ and make him world champion.
“That was his only experience as a professional facing a Southpaw, but he’s never faced a skilled, high boxing IQ Southpaw.
“I think it’s going to be the biggest challenge for AJ.”
HOME ADVANTAGE
Joshua will have a home advantage and an army of UK support behind him. Krassyuk believes Usyk’s experience of the British crowd will leave him unfazed by the atmosphere.
“It’s going to be sold out and full of magnetism, full of fire, full of emotions before the fight,” he pointed out.
“There might be some stress after the fight. Fighting in a stadium is always something special because it makes an extraordinary atmosphere when you have 60,000 in attendance.
“All the fans come together where they support their fighter, all the sounds, all the lights.
“In my 16 years in boxing, I’ve visited many shows, but only a few of them were in football stadiums. It’s always a very unforgettable experience to be a part of the fight.”
