"Looking dangerous" -Joe Joyce on how Anthony Joshua and Oleksander Usyk look ahead of their rematch

British Heavyweight contender Joe Joyce voiced his opinion on how Anthony Joshua and Oleksander Usyk are looking right now, with their rematch just a few days away. Usyk will face Joshua on August 20 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

In an interview, Joe Joyce said:

“He [Usyk] looks dangerous man, he has put on some size and he is doing the Mike Tyson bobbing and weaving, so he is upping his game, Joshua is obviously having to up his game as well so it will be fire works”

Watch the full interview here:

Many fans and observers have noticed the change in Oleksander Usyk’s physique ahead of the rematch. Usyk looks bigger and stronger than he did in the first bout. During the twelfth round of the first fight, the Ukrainian hurt Anthony Joshua and had him staggering upon the ropes. Fortunately for the former champion, there was only 20 seconds left in the fight and he was potentially saved by the bell.

The change in Usyk’s physique suggests that this time around he might be going for a knockout victory. He is likely to implement a different gameplan going into the bout. It also raises more questions such as how a heavier Usyk will fare in the later rounds of the bout.

His bigger size might deplete his cardio in the early rounds of the fight. But then again, maybe he is looking for a finish in the early rounds.

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Joe Joyce has predicted Anthony Joshua vs. Oleksander Usyk II to be a firefight

Whilst Usyk appears to be bigger, Anthony Joshua’s trainers have spoken about the importance of him using his physical strengths. ‘AJ’ is naturally a bigger man, although he has not fought in the typical stiff jab big-man style in the past. One of Joshua’s biggest strengths is his ability to finish opponents via a combination of punches.

Watch Anthony Joshua's KOs:

On how the fight will play out, Joyce added:

“I think Usyk’s just looking on form and on fire and he has beaten him before so it is not looking very good. Joshua, as I was saying has a punchers chance and lets see what he was working on with his team and see if he can change things up and come out more offensive than that and it will be a firefight”

The increase in size by Usyk may be a ploy to counteract the offensive style that he believes Joshua will employ. Both fighters are looking to gain tactical advantage over the other, which makes the matchup that much more interesting.