"He'll know exactly what he needs to do" - Joe Joyce backs Oleksandr Usyk to defeat Anthony Joshua in rematch
Joe Joyce believes Oleskandr Usyk has what it takes to defeat Anthony Joshua again in a rematch. Joyce is under the impression that Usyk has the experience and skillset that will make it difficult for Joshua to avenge his loss.
Watch the fight highlights of the first fight between Joshua and Usyk:
Joshua vs. Usyk has yet to be confirmed but there is speculation that an announcement will be made soon and the bout will take place in Saudi Arabia in July or August.
Here's what Joyce said in an interview with Seconds Out:
"I think Usyk already showed he knew what do going in the first round. He was already at him, he didn't take time to like warm into the fight and see what he had, he knew exactly what he was doing. He'll know exactly what he needs to do to beat him again. He's got the skillset advantage and experience."
Despite going into the fight as an underdog, the Ukrainian displayed why he is a former Undisputed Cruiserweight Champion and Olympic gold medalist. 'AJ' had no answer for Usyk's slickness and it remains to be seen if the Brit can be more competitive in a potential rematch.
Watch the full interview with Joyce on Seconds Out:
Joe Joyce explains how Anthony Joshua can defeat Usyk
Joyce continued by explaining what Anthony Joshua needs to do to have a chance of beating Usyk.
"Like what he should have done the first time was rough him up a bit and like walk him down and try and land something big."
With 22 out of his 24 victories coming via knockout, Joshua is seen as one of the biggest punchers in the heavyweight division. However, he failed to land anything significant on Usyk or hurt the Ukrainian in the first bout. Instead it was Usyk who was close to stopping Joshua in the final round.
Regardless, 'AJ' recently expressed that he is working on a specific gameplan for the first time in his career to employ in the second fight. Time will tell whether Joshua uses his distinct physical advantages to gain the upper hand or applies pressure to Usyk in a more tactical way.
Anthony Joshua on the Oleksandr Usyk rematch: "This is the first time in my career I'd say we are specifically working to a game plan. I've based a lot of my success on raw ability… Raw ability wasn't enough, so now I'm gonna try out this game plan training and see how it goes."