Promoter Frank Warren believes that Oleksandr Usyk has Anthony Joshua’s number and tips the Ukrainian to come out on top in a rematch.
Last September Usyk, the former undisputed cruiserweight champion, strolled into Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to take on ‘AJ’ and his legions of adoring fans. In what was one of the performances of the year Usyk broke down the challenge of the hulking heavyweight to take the WBA, IBF and WBO heavyweight titles out of his hands.
With Tyson Fury, who Warren co-promotes with Top Rank, now defending his WBC title against mandatory challenger Dillian Whyte the path is now clear for Joshua to rematch Usyk. Boxing Social asked Warren who he would pick in a return bout.
“I do fancy Usyk in the rematch” he said.
“I feel Usyk’s got his number; he’s got an exceptional trainer in old man Lomachenko. I think they’ll be really up for this in more ways than one. You know he’s not an [Andy] Ruiz, you know he’s not going to go and train in his refrigerator, he’s going to be fit, he’s a consummate professional.”
Warren was also critical of Joshua’s corner during the fight and gave his opinion on what tactics the Londoner should employ against the two-weight champion.
“I felt that Joshua’s corner got it wrong. From what you could hear on TV they were saying at one stage you were winning the fight. I don’t know what fight they were watching. And I don’t think they got it right at all.
“Let’s see if AJ changes trainer but irrespective of that he’s got a lot of things to change, not just his trainer. He’s got to change his attitude which in that fight I don’t think was good. I don’t think he was doing what a big guy should be doing.
“I think for AJ the only way he can win the fight, he ain’t gonna out box him, he’s got to go and put it on him. The question is will he do that? And if he does that and throw in some of those bombs, is he going to leave himself exposed?”
Click here to watch the interview in full where Warren talks about Fury-Whyte, Parker-Andrade, the offer for Buatsi to fight Yarde and much more.