Anthony Joshua and Oleksandr Usyk faced off on Wednesday, August 17, ahead of their rematch this weekend.
Usyk and Joshua will go head-to-head on Saturday night August 20, this time in Saudi Arabia, with the British-Nigerian boxer looking to reclaim his WBA, WBO, and IBF belts he lost to the unified heavyweight champion last September in London.
Joshua is expected to pose a significant challenge on Saturday night as he will be hoping to get his titles back.
Usyk’s manager, Krassyuk, also stated that he too will pose a new threat, with newfound motivation to represent those back in his home country in Ukraine.
‘When we watched Usyk’s videos from training camp, we realised he looks like a cyborg,’ Krassyuk said on Wednesday. ‘He went through hell in the last few months. It didn’t kill him, but made him stronger. He’s never been more determined than now.
‘Not many champions in the world can go through a war and make their way to the ring to defend their crown.
‘It was an extremely complicated challenge for him, but he’s passed it well. People want him to fight, people want him to win, people want the Ukrainian flag to rise.’
Joshua admitted a difficult night is ahead and is relishing the opportunity to take on the pound-for-pound star once more.
‘It’s tough, but I’m relishing the challenge,’ he said. Let’s get the job done, instinct, stay focused and god willing, I’ll be victorious.
‘I have goals that I want to achieve on the night, and I need to be disciplined to follow through. It’s competition with myself. The belts mean something, but that’s at the end of the target.
‘I’ll focus on the process first and foremost. I want to compete. I have a competitive spirit.’
