"Inside six rounds" - Eddie Hearn gives prediction for Oleksandr Usyk vs. Anthony Joshua 2
Eddie Hearn believes that Anthony Joshua has the ability to knockout Oleksandr Usyk in their rematch later this year.
Last September, 'AJ' and 'The Cat' squared off for the first time. Despite heading into the matchup as a heavy betting favorite, Joshua was dominated in the contest. Usyk went into The Brit's backyard and put on a boxing clinic.
The Ukrainian battered the heavyweight champion, showcasing his clear technical ability. After 12 rounds, it was no surprise when Usyk was declared the new WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, and IBO Heavyweight Champion via unanimous decision.
The two are now set to face off in a rematch later this year. While a date is yet to be confirmed, Joshua's promoter Eddie Hearn has stated that the bout is likely to take place in July in Saudi Arabia. Furthermore, when the rematch happens, the head of Matchroom Boxing expects his fighter to win.
As reported by talkSPORT's Michael Benson, Hearn has stated that he expects Joshua to win in a big fashion when the rematch occurs. The promoter believes that 'AJ' will knockout Usyk when they fight later this year.
"I'm telling you now, this is my prediction - AJ KOs Usyk inside six rounds."
See Michael Benson's tweet about Eddie Hearn's prediction below:
Eddie Hearn on Oleksandr Usyk vs Anthony Joshua II: "I'm telling you now, this is my prediction - AJ KOs Usyk inside six rounds."
Can Anthony Joshua knockout Oleksandr Usyk in their rematch?
While there's no guarantees in the boxing game, it's going to be very difficult for Anthony Joshua to knockout Oleksandr Usyk in their rematch.
Very few will doubt that 'AJ' has insane punching power. While he doesn't have the same bombastic power that Deontay Wilder has, Joshua is like a sniper. When he lands, it lands clean and has a fair bit of power behind it.
It's going to be hard to put down Usyk, though, even with that tremendous power. The Ukrainian heavyweight champion has never been stopped in his career, or even hurt. Furthermore, he's never even lost a contest in his professional career.
Looking back at their first fight in September 2021, there was a lot of Joshua swinging and not landing clean. While he did switch trainers for his rematch against Usyk, it's still going to be a massive challenge for the former champion to reclaim his throne when he steps into the ring later this year.