How can Anthony Joshua defeat Oleksandr Usyk in the rematch?

Oleksandr Usyk (left) Vs. Anthony Joshua (right)
Oleksandr Usyk (left) Vs. Anthony Joshua (right)

Oleksandr Usyk is set to defend his heavyweight world titles for the first time against the man he won them from. The huge rematch taglined 'Rage on the Red Sea' will take place in Saudi Arabia on August 20.

Oleksandr Usyk doesn't often get exposed in the ring. However, there have been a few competitors who have found success that Anthony Joshua can learn from.

Joshua will use the help of his new trainer Robert Garcia to explore a fresh new strategy to defeat his opponent in the rematch, but he may use the successes of Usyk's previous opponents to aid his plan.

For the Ukrainian's final bout as a cruiserweight, he defended his undisputed status against Tony Bellew at the Manchester Arena. Usyk has since named the contest his toughest test in the cruiserweight division.

Oleksandr Usyk ultimately knocked the Brit out in the eighth-round but it was mostly down to Bellew's fatigue setting in. 'The Bomber' found a lot of success during the fight as his footwork was emphatic. Usyk's world-class footwork was not as effective as usual due to Bellew's constant movement.

Furthermore, Bellew was on the front foot in the early rounds and adopted a fearless approach, which found him catching the champion with a lot of shots. This was accompanied by impressive defensive skills too, as his head movement helped him evade counter shots.

In Usyk's second heavyweight contest, he faced another Brit in Derek Chisora, who also gave the Ukrainian a hard night. The bout went the distance and although the champion won the fight, Chisora was not an easy test.

The Brit is known for his brawling style and he brought that to the skilled boxer. 'War' applied an abundance of heavy body shots to his opponent and found openings when fighting on the inside.

Anthony Joshua can take some pieces away from Bellew and Chisora's performances to win the fight. It does appear that the former British Olympian has gained mass for the rematch, so it seems like the game plan will be to earn a knockout.

Joshua already has heavy hands and not many opponents have escaped the knockout. The challenge now is to land his heavy hits on the Ukrainian.

Additionally, 'AJ' will likely look to use the opposite strategy that he had in his rematch against Andy Ruiz Jr. The Brit went into the second meeting with a plan to be patient and win on points, which he did.

This tactic proved to not work in his first encounter with Oleksandr Usyk, so he will look to do the opposite and land bigger shots in the rematch.

Ultimately, Joshua will have to make the fight ugly at times by effectively using his size and power to stop Usyk from being in control. In addition to this, he will have to avoid another chess match and turn the fight into his own. The Brit will have to take risks in order to find success rather than playing it safe.

Watch Oleksandr Usyk vs. Tony Bellew below:

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If Anthony Joshua can't defeat Oleksandr Usyk, who can?

Although Oleksandr Usyk is regarded as one of the most skilled boxers in pound-for-pound boxing, Tyson Fury is still the favored heavyweight in the division.

Despite the Brit claiming to be retired, he is still registered as the WBC Heavyweight Champion. Fury stands at 6'9" and moves like a middleweight, a style and profile that Usyk is yet to come up against.

Another deadly opponent for Usyk is Deontay Wilder, who can beat anybody in the sport with one shot. The American has devastating power and has dropped all of his opponents to the canvas, including Fury twice in their first bout.

Usyk has faced power punchers such as Murat Gassiev and Anthony Joshua, but Wilder tops the bill.

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Edited by Allan Mathew
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