"He doesn't try and outbox him" - Dave Coldwell explains how Anthony Joshua can defeat Oleksandr Usyk
Dave Coldwell thinks Anthony Joshua must physically impose himself against Oleksandr Usyk in the rematch if he is to have any chance of winning.
Joshua and Usyk fought back in September 2020 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London. The Ukrainian pulled off a massive upset victory by outboxing 'AJ' over 12 rounds. 'The Cat' won a unanimous decision to capture the IBF, WBA and WBO Heavyweight Championships.
Watch the fight highlights between Joshua and Usyk below:
Following Joshua's loss, many boxing experts believe the Englishman used the wrong tactics against Usyk in their first bout. The former Undisputed Cruiserweight Champion and Olympic gold medalist proved to be too fast and slick for 'AJ' who tried to engage in a chess match.
Dave Coldwell recently spoke with iFL TV. The former boxer and current trainer highlighted adjustments Joshua could make to change the result this time around:
"He doesn't try and outbox him. But you've got to think about the physical advantages that Joshua has. Whether he wins or loses, he has those physical advantages and he should have moments in the fight where he can use those advantages. In the first fight, he didn't have any moment at all. I think he caught him with the odd right hand and one good body shot and it registered."
Anthony Joshua struggled to hit Usyk cleanly in the first fight and never came close to dropping the Ukrainian. Meanwhile, Usyk was close to getting a stoppage in the latter stages of the final round before the Brit was saved by the bell.
Watch Coldwell's full interview with iFL TV:
Dave Coldwell thinks Oleksandr Usyk will be even tougher for Anthony Joshua to beat in the rematch
Coldwell continued by predicting that Usyk will produce a better performance in the second fight against Anthony Joshua:
"I think this version of Usyk is going to be a better version than the first fight. Because in the first fight, he's in there with Joshua and yes he's got belief, but now he's got full belief. Don't forget in round three or even in round one, it registered with Joshua straight away. He's landing those straight left hands. Usyk will get his timing off straight away again. He'll be a lot more confident this time round."
The official announcement for Joshua vs. Usyk 2 is expected to happen sometime this week. To prove his doubters wrong and beat Usyk, 'AJ' may have to produce the performance of his career.