Watch: Evander Holyfield breaks down the rematch between Anthony Joshua and Oleksandr Usyk
Evander Holyfield has given his take on Anthony Joshua vs. Oleksandr Usyk 2.
'The Cat' and 'AJ' are set to have a rematch this weekend in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The bout is a sequel to their September 2021 thriller. In that outing, Usyk dominated the Brit to score a walloping unanimous decision victory.
Now, almost a year later, the two are set to run it back. However, a lot has changed with both men since they last clashed. Following the defeat, Joshua decided to change trainers and join famed coach Robert Garcia.
On Usyk's end, he is coming off a stint in the armed forces. Earlier this year, after Russia invaded his home country of Ukraine, the 35-year-old enlisted in the military. He was granted clearance to leave the country in order to prepare for his fight this weekend.
Ahead of the rematch, there's been a lot of discussion on whether Usyk can repeat his performance from a year ago, or if Joshua can get his revenge and move on to a possible fight with Tyson Fury.
Heavyweight legend Evander Holyfield has given his take on the fight in an interview with Sky Sports. 'The Real Deal' declined to give a pick, but stated Joshua could win if he were aggressive. He stated:
"No, it's not impossible [for Joshua to win] because he could catch him with one shot, he could get him. All it takes is one shot with him. But, is he going to be aggressive enough to go out and do it?"
Watch Holyfield's interview below:
Evander Holyfield breaks down the rematch between Oleksandr Usyk & Anthony Joshua 👊💥
@Holyfield | #UsykJoshua2 https://t.co/LCDhmOu68A
Is Evander Holyfield retired from boxing?
Earlier this week, Evander Holyfield confirmed he was done in the ring.
'The Real Deal' retired from the sport following a win over Brian Nielsen in May 2011. However, the 59-year-old signed up to have an exhibition boxing match with former UFC light-heavyweight champion Vitor Belfort last September.
Vitor Belfort’s pressure proved to be too much for Evander Holyfield.
(via @OmarESPN) https://t.co/wlR89gCjJC
In that outing, the legendary boxer lost badly as he was battered en route to a first-round stoppage. Following the contest, Holyfield publicly stated that he still hoped to fight Mike Tyson for a third time.
However, it seems that he's given up on that idea. In an interview with TMZ Sports, Holyfield stated that he was too old to fight anymore, and that he wouldn't get that long-awaited trilogy bout with 'Iron Mike'.
Watch his interview below: