Tyson Fury declared "never say never" about joining WWE after playing a starring role at Clash at the Castle in the Cardiff.

The 34-year-old featured at the Principality Stadium on Saturday, joining in the headline clash between champion Roman Reigns and Drew McIntyre.

Fury left his front-row seat in Cardiff when Austin Theory attempted to cash in his 'money in the bank' contract before downing the 25-year-old.

Reigns emerged victorious by pinning McIntyre before the pair were greeted in the ring by Fury, who treated the crowd to a rendition of Don McLean's 'American Pie'.

While Fury waits for a heavyweight unification clash against Oleksandr Usyk, he refused to rule out moving to WWE after his boxing career comes to an end.

"At the moment I'm a heavyweight world champion, and I have plenty of fights I have to take care of over the next few years," Fury responded when asked about the prospect of joining WWE.

"But I really, really have a passion for WWE. Never say never."

Tyson Fury vowed to not "wait around for anybody" as he promised to announce his next fight soon, but it will not be against Oleksandr Usyk.   Usyk defended his WBO, IBF and WBA Super belts against Anthony Joshua in Jeddah in August, claiming a split-decision victory to down the Briton in their much-anticipated rematch.   Fury has been repeatedly mooted as the next man to face the Ukrainian with the promise of a unification fight appealing to heavyweight boxing fans across the world.   Usyk raised expectations of the mouth-watering bout when he said on Friday he wants to face Fury and rubbished his retirement claims as "just a game" from a "very crazy guy".   But the two will not clash in 2022 as Usyk wants to fight next year and Fury is refusing to wait for the opportunity – instead promising to reveal his next fight in the next week.

"Usyk was calling me out after his last fight with [Anthony] Joshua, I've replied and said let's do the fight this year, wherever they want to do it," Fury said.

"I've been waiting for offers from countries to come forward, and all of a sudden Usyk has stated he doesn't want to fight anymore, he wants to fight next year, not this year.

"So I'm not going to wait around for anybody, I'm announcing a fight next week."

Tyson Fury has issued a fresh challenge to Oleksandr Usyk, responding to the latest comments from the Ukrainian where he referred to the WBC heavyweight champion as a 'crazy guy'.

Usyk successfully defended his belts against Anthony Joshua in last month's rematch, clearing the way for boxing fans to secure the unification fight they have long been waiting for on the heavyweight stage.

Fury had claimed he would retire following his win against Dillian Whyte in April but has since made it clear he is open to returning to the ring for a unification bout against Usyk.

Former middleweight fighter Usyk spoke about the prospect of facing off against Fury earlier this week, stating: "I want the WBC title. It was captured by the gypsies, some kind of king.

"We don't know what Tyson has in his head. Everyone knows that this is a very crazy guy. I would really like this fight to happen next year."

That sparked a fiery response from Fury, who directed jibes at Usyk's former middleweight status and named three prospective dates for a potential bout.

"Usyk, middleweight, you say you want the WBC and it's held by gypsies, it is held by gypsies and it's held by the gypsy king, it's held tightly," he said in a social media video.

"All rounds lead to a seven-foot behemoth who will absolutely destroy you, middleweight, you will get smashed to bits.

"You said you wanted to fight me after you beat the bodybuilder [Joshua], called me out on television, and now you're being a little b****, saying you've got injuries.

"You ain't got no injuries, you had a sparring contest. Get out and fight in December, you let your mouth go, now let's see if you can back it up.

"Doesn't matter if it's December, April or August next year, the outcome will be the same, I will obliterate you. I am a seven foot, 20 stone behemoth and I will destroy you. Find your balls, come see me."

One of the most famous power punchers to ever live, Earnie Shavers, passed away on Thursday a day after his 78th birthday.

Shavers amassed a 74-14-1 record between 1969 and 1995, and he was 54-5-1 by 1977 when he earned a world heavyweight title fight against Muhammad Ali at Madison Square Garden.

Shavers lost a 15-round decision to Ali, who famously declared after the fight "Earnie hit me so hard, it shook my kinfolk in Africa".

Fellow heavyweights often spoke of Shavers' power, with George Foreman once telling David Letterman during a late-night talk show conversation about the hardest punchers he ever faced "I never fought Earnie Shavers, thank goodness".

Of his 74 career wins, 68 came by knockout, including 23 in the first round.

Tyson Fury has set a one-week deadline for "suitors" to "come up with the money" to fight him.

Fury claimed before and after retaining his WBC world heavyweight title by stopping Dillian Whyte at Wembley in April that the all-British fight would be the last of his career.

Yet talked has turned to a unification bout between the 34-year-old and WBA, IBF and WBO champion Oleksandr Usyk following the Ukrainian's second victory over Anthony Joshua on Saturday.

Usyk's promoter Alex Krassyuk said a fight with Fury is "in the making", while Fury's co-promoters Frank Warren and Bob Arum are also confident of doing a deal.

Fury on Wednesday urged the interested parties to put their money where their mouth is.

He posted on Instagram and Twitter: "Hi guys, for all these suitors out there that want to make the fight, I’m gonna give you all seven days, until the first of September, to come up with the money. If not, thank you vey much, it's been a blast, I'm retired."

Fury added in another video: "And also guys, forgot to say, all of them offers submitted, must be to my lawyer Robert Davies, in writing, with proof of funds. So let the games begin. Boom!"

WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman this week said Fury has until Friday to make it clear whether he intends to fight again.

Fury stated in June that he would want £500million to come out of retirement.

Oleksandr Usyk's promoter Alex Krassyuk has said a much-anticipated fight with Tyson Fury for all four of the world heavyweight titles is "in the making".

Usyk was a split-decision victor in his rematch against Anthony Joshua on Saturday in Jeddah, retaining the WBA, IBF and WBO belts that he took off the same opponent at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last year.

It means that the Ukrainian would now just need the WBC belt to make him only the second fighter in the four-belt era behind Claressa Shields to become undisputed in two different weight classes, having already held all four titles in the cruiserweight division.

That WBC belt belongs to Fury, who has not been in the ring since April when he defended his strap by stopping Dillian Whyte with a brutal uppercut in the sixth round at Wembley.

Fury has since claimed to be retired, but it appears that he could be tempted back into the ring to face Usyk and crown an undisputed champion in the heavyweight division, after telling his Instagram followers he would "annihilate" both Usyk and Joshua following the conclusion of their rematch.

And Usyk's promoter Krassyuk is confident the fight between the two undefeated titleholders will happen, telling Sky Sports on Tuesday: "It's in the making."

Speaking on Monday, meanwhile, Fury's co-promoter Frank Warren also indicated he is confident of the Briton getting in the ring with Usyk.

"[Fury] and Usyk would be a really good fight," Warren told BBC Radio 5 Live. "It's a fight that I think will be made because both teams would like to see that happen.

"Usyk said after the fight that it's the only fight he's interested in, and it's certainly the same case with Tyson. It's just a matter of where it will generate the most income because it's a unique fight, a historic fight."

 

 

WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman would welcome a unification bout between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk and believes such a fight could even take place before the end of the year.

Usyk produced a near-perfect display to record a split-decision victory over Anthony Joshua in Jeddah on Saturday, retaining the WBA, IBF and WBO belts he took from the Briton in London last year.

Having retained his undefeated professional record with a 20th victory in as many fights, Usyk declared his intention to fight Fury, saying: "I'm sure Tyson Fury isn't retired yet. I'm sure he wants to fight me. I want to fight him. If I'm not fighting Tyson Fury, I'm not fighting at all."

Fury has repeatedly flip-flopped on his boxing future, calling out Derek Chisora earlier this month before ruling out a return to the ring just three days later.

In the aftermath of Usyk's win over Joshua, however, Fury told his Instagram followers he would "annihilate" both fighters before declaring that the "Gypsy King is here to stay forever".

Sulaiman is excited by the prospect of Fury, who is unbeaten in 33 professional bouts, returning to face the Ukrainian.

"Tyson Fury is a unique man, his personality, his thinking is unique so I respect that, I respect him," Sulaiman told Sky Sports.

"He has been so loyal to the WBC, he has been so representative and proud of the WBC. I just hope that he makes the right decision, whichever it is.

"If he decides to hang up the gloves and retire, what a great way to do it, with money, with health, with his beautiful family.

"But if he has that hunger of going into the ring, which I believe is the case, it would be great to see him represent the WBC in a fight with Usyk or other championship fights he could have in the near future."

Sulaiman also revealed Fury has until Friday to confirm whether he intends to vacate the WBC heavyweight title after his latest retirement claims, and stated his belief fans may not have to wait long to see the two champions in action.

"Tyson Fury is the WBC champion of the world, he's not holding the 'other belt', he's holding the WBC championship, which is the championship of Muhammed Ali, George Foreman, [Joe] Frazier, [Mike] Tyson, Lennox Lewis etc," Sulaiman said.

"I'm very proud of Tyson Fury, he's a tremendous fighter and I am sure he wishes to continue boxing and a fight to unify all the championships in the division would be tremendous."

Sulaiman said Fury was free to make his own choice, adding: "But my personal opinion is that boxing is going through a great stage, a great moment, it will be great to see Fury against Usyk in the ultimate unification of the division.

"We are in August, there is still time to finalise and close up the year, or early next year."

Sulaiman said a tussle between Usyk and Fury at this stage in their careers would be "a momentous, huge event".

A heavyweight unification bout between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk "will be made", says promoter Frank Warren, who also did not discount the possibility of an all-British bout between Fury and Anthony Joshua.

Usyk retained his WBA, WBO and IBF titles, and also claimed the Ring Magazine belt with a split-decision victory over Joshua on Saturday to take his record to 20 professional bouts undefeated.

WBC champion Fury appeared to reaffirm his retiremenet ahead of the fight, but subsequently suggested promoters and fans "get [their] cheque book out" after the Ukrainian's win.

Warren, who handles Fury's bouts, has suggested the pair could square off next - and finally deliver the division's first undsputed champion since 1999.

"He and Usyk would be a really good fight," Warren told BBC Radio 5 Live. "It's a fight that I think will be made because both teams would like to see that happen."

Britain's Lennox Lewis beat Evander Holyfield to become the last undisputed heavyweight champion over two decades ago, but there has not been a bout with all four belts on the line since the WBO title was included in 2007.

"Usyk said after the fight that it's the only fight he's interested in, and it's certainly the same case with Tyson," Warren added.

"It's just a matter of where it will generate the most income because it's a unique fight, a historic fight.

"It's the first time for God knows how long that the four belts are on the line. Both fighters are undefeated. The whole world of boxing will be captivated by this fight."

Warren has also not ruled out seeing the long-awaited clash between Fury and Joshua, though the likelihood of such a fight following the latter's third defeat in his past five fights seems questionable.

Joshua first lost the WBA, WBO and IBF titles to Andy Ruiz Jr, though despite winning them back in the rematch, subsequently lost them to Usyk again last year.

The prospect of an all-British unification bout between Joshua and Fury was floated at multiple points during their reigns but ultimately never materialised, and Warren said Joshua will have to win some more fights before he can be considered a contender for Fury.

"If AJ manages to get a couple of wins under his belt - and I believe Tyson will beat Usyk - that may be a fight to be made," Warren added. "But AJ's got to re-establish himself before you can even think about fights like that."

Anthony Joshua admitted emotions got the better of him after he launched an impassioned rant in the aftermath of his split-decision loss to Oleksandr Usyk.

Usyk outclassed Joshua to clinch the WBA, IBF and WBO heavyweight titles in London last year, and produced another polished performance to deal the 32-year-old a further defeat in Jeddah on Saturday.

While Joshua's improved display saw one judge surprisingly score the fight 115-113 in his favour, Usyk retained his titles after the other two adjudged him to be the victor of an absorbing bout.

Joshua responded to the defeat in bizarre fashion, throwing the Ukrainian's belts to the ground before returning to the ring to give a speech in which he discussed his background and hailed Usyk's abilities.

Joshua, who has lost three of his last five fights, subsequently declared: "When you're angry you do stupid things."

On Sunday, he moved to explain his actions.

"I wish Oleksandr Usyk continued success in your quest for greatness. You are a class act champ," he wrote on Twitter.

"Yesterday I had to mentally take myself into a dark place to compete for the championship belts! I had two fights, one with Usyk and one with my emotions and both got the better of me.

"I'll be the first to admit, I let myself down. I acted out of pure passion and emotion and when not controlled it ain't great.

"I love this sport so so much and I'll be better from this point on. Respect."

Usyk declared a desire to face Tyson Fury after sealing impressive back-to-back wins over Johsua, saying: "I'm sure he wants to fight me. I want to fight him. If I'm not fighting Tyson Fury, I'm not fighting at all."

Anthony Joshua insisted he is a "fighter for a life" with a "hunger that never dies" amid speculation over his future after another defeat to Oleksandr Usyk.

Usyk outclassed the Briton at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last year, claiming the WBA, IBF and WBO belts.

The Ukrainian was challenged more in the rematch in Jeddah on Saturday, but produced a near-perfect display in the later rounds to defend his world heavyweight champion status with a split-decision victory.

One judge scored the fight 115-113 in Joshua's favour, while another had the same result for Usyk, with the third decisively awarding Usyk a 116-112 success.

An enraged Joshua picked up the belts after the fight before throwing them down, prior to returning to the ring to launch a bizarre yet impassioned rant on his background and Usyk's skills.

Joshua has now lost three of his past five fights, all of them for world titles, and could not hide his emotions at the post-fight press conference.

"It's really, really hard for me to say I'm proud of myself," he said. "I'm upset, really, deep down in my heart."

On his actions after the conclusion of the fight, Joshua added: "When you try and do things from your heart, not everyone is going to understand," Joshua explained.

"It was just from the heart. I knew I was mad at myself. Not at anyone, just myself. I was like 'I got to get out of here because I'm mad'.

"When you're angry you might do stupid things. Then I realised this is sport. I came back and did the right thing.

"I'm a fighter for life. That hunger never dies. Fighter for life."

Eddie Hearn, the promoter for Joshua, labelled his fighter an idol within world sport as he echoed the sentiments that the 32-year-old will not retire.

"This is someone who I want my kids to look up to," Hearn added. "If he's out in public, he gives everyone his time. He's one of the nicest guys. He's a competitor and winner.

"What you saw was raw emotion. A real person who wanted to win badly."

Oleksandr Usyk has called out Tyson Fury immediately after retaining his heavyweight titles with a split decision victory over Anthony Joshua in Jeddah on Saturday.

The Ukrainian's victory over Joshua meant he retained the WBA, WBO and IBF belts, while he also claimed the Ring Magazine belt.

Usyk is now eyeing off the WBC belt, vacated by Fury who had declared he was retired after beating Killian Whyte in April. Fury had recently indicated he would end his retirement to potentially fight Derek Chisora before flip-flopping on that decision earlier this month.

However, speculation has mounted that Fury would come out of retirement to face the winner of Saturday's bout.

That will only be fueled by the video posted by the 'Gypsy King' on Twitter reacting to Usyk's victory, claiming he would "annihilate" both fighters, while the 35-year-old Ukrainian was already eyeing off a bout with him.

"I'm sure Tyson Fury isn't retired yet," Usyk said on the ring immediately after the bout.

"I'm sure he wants to fight me. I want to fight him. If I'm not fighting Tyson Fury, I'm not fighting at all."

Fury said on Twitter: "It was one of the worst heavyweight title fights I have ever seen. I would annihilate both of them on the same night.

"Get your f*****g chequebook out because the Gypsy King is here to stay forever."

Fury's co-promoter Frank Warren had indicated earlier this month that the 34-year-old was getting "itchy feet" in retirement.

"He's got itchy feet at the moment, he wants to fight," he told TalkSPORT.

"I think what's going to happen is, see what happens on [August] 20th and the outcome of that and that'll determine what he intends to do in the future.

"My opinion, this is not from him, it's from me. I think he will [return] because he's a fighting man and he misses it. That's what he does, he wants to fight."

Anthony Joshua launched a bizarre yet impassioned rant after losing the heavyweight title re-match to Oleksandr Usyk on split decision in Jeddah on Saturday.

The Ukrainian retained his heavyweight belts with the victory but it was Joshua who stole the show after the bout.

The 32-year-old Briton grabbed the microphone in the ring and spoke for four minutes in an expletive-filled rant despite it being Usyk's moment of glory.

Joshua's tirade included moments of respect along with disrespect aimed at his opponent and seemed to lack coherence or direction.

"I don't care about strong, I care about skills," Joshua said. "Being strong doesn’t win boxing … skills win boxing.

"You’re not strong, how did you beat me? I got skilled. I’ve had character and determination."

Joshua, who appeared to throw two belts out of the ring amid the chaos, quickly changed his tune and added: "Usyk, one hell of a f***ing fighter, let’s give him a round of applause.

"That’s just emotion. If you knew my story, you would understand my passion. I ain’t no f***ing amateur boxer from five years old that was an elite prospect from a youth.

"I was going to jail. I got bail and started training my ass off, because if I got sentenced, I wouldn’t be able to fight."

He continued: "The f***ing passion we put into this s***, man. This guy, to beat me tonight, maybe I could have done better, but it shows the levels of hard work he must have put in, so please give him a round of applause as our heavyweight champion of the world. Woo! Motherf*****!

"I'm not a 12-round fighter. Look at me! I'm a new breed of heavyweights. All them heavyweights — Mike Tyson, Sonny Liston, Jack Dempsey.

"'Oh, you don’t throw combinations like Rocky Marciano'. Cause I ain't f***in' 14 stone, that’s why! I'm 18 stone and I'm heavy! It's hard work! This guy here is a phenomenal talent."

Promoter Eddie Hearn weighed in on Joshua's confusing rant, arguing he was frustrated after Usyk was "too good" for him.

"You saw the reaction from AJ, and that was from a human who wanted to win so badly with so much pressure on his shoulders," Hearn told Sky Sports Box Office.

"I think he just exploded because he lost and he was devastated, and he's given everything to try and win this fight. He couldn't win the fight, he's a competitor, he's a winner but this man's too good.

"It was an incredible performance. He’s just too good, and there’s no shame in it. The 10th round, the 11th round, that’s why he’s the pound-for-pound number one."

Oleksandr Usyk successfully defended his world heavyweight champion status with a split-decision victory over Anthony Joshua in Jeddah.

Just under a year on from ripping the Briton's WBA, IBF and WBO belts from him in a unanimous triumph at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the Ukrainian retained those titles in hard-fought fashion in Saudi Arabia.

Usyk's second win against his rival reaffirms his place atop the pecking order in the heavyweight division, with Tyson Fury – an obvious contender – again retired for now.

But Joshua did himself no disgrace in defeat, producing a resurgent display to go toe-to-toe throughout in a fight that may quiet questions around his future despite the loss.

The pair warmly embraced after the final bell and together held aloft the Ukrainian flag in a show of solidarity before the scores were read out to confirm Usyk's defence.

While one judge scored the fight 115-113 in Joshua's favour, another had the same result for Usyk, with the third decisively awarding the champion a 116-112 success.

A low-wattage opening showed little between the pair, with Joshua attempting to exert early control through a steadier command of the middle of the ring than he had shown in London last year.

But a livelier start to the fourth from Usyk drew the pair out into a fiercer contest, before a more explosive sixth ratcheted up the tension with a flurry of hooks and uppercuts from both men.

With the fight past the halfway point, it looked as if Joshua could fall away with his struggle to convert low shots – but a blistering combination in the ninth left his opponent backpedaling to the ropes.

Usyk promptly responded, though, and his unerring accuracy just about kept Joshua at bay through an enthralling finale to secure a second successive points triumph.

Oleksandr Usyk has claimed "expectations are not met every time" after the Ukrainian surprisingly came in light at his pre-fight weigh in ahead of the rematch with Anthony Joshua.

The heavyweight champion was widely reported to have been bulking ahead of going toe-to-toe with Joshua in Saudi Arabia but, clocking in at 15 stone and 11 pounds, was only marginally heavier than his weight in north London last year.

Usyk, always keeping his cards close to his chest, refused to confirm whether it was a ploy for people to think he would be showing a heavier weight for Sunday's bout and was not drawn into pre-fight verbal jabs when interviewed after the scales.

Joshua also downplayed the significance of the weigh-on and face-off, having clocked in four and a half pounds heavier than last September, and remains focused on getting it done in the ring.

"For me, personally, the face-off doesn't mean anything. It's about throwing leather, the face off doesn't win fights. All of this stuff, weight, none of it matters to me, I'm just looking forward to the fight," he said.

The Brit has been preparing for the fight to go the full distance, just as it did at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium when he lost his belts, adding: "I'm 100 per cent ready for 12 rounds and anything less than that is a bonus."

At 32 years old, Anthony Joshua should be enjoying the prime of his career, but in his rematch against Oleksandr Usyk on August 20 he faces the prospect of his status as a truly top-echelon attraction coming to an end.

Joshua, an Olympic gold medallist and maybe the most physically imposing heavyweight in boxing, will contest his 12th consecutive world title fight when he steps into the ring in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, with nine wins and two losses over that span.

The Watford-born star has lost before – in a shocking upset via seventh-round knockout against Mexico's Andy Ruiz Jr at Madison Square Garden – which he proceeded to avenge in style, with a dominant unanimous decision victory in the rematch, also in Saudi Arabia.

He will be hoping the story repeats itself after his convincing defeat at the hands of Usyk at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in September, as he again prepares for his rematch on the other side of the world, away from all the distractions of friends, family and the celebrity that comes with being the heavyweight champion of the world.

But Usyk is a very different proposition than Ruiz ever was.

Ruiz was a late replacement opponent when he faced Joshua, and it was clear the towering, muscle-bound Brit underestimated the stout, stocky Mexican, as he was shocked early by the challenger's power and never truly recovered.

With a full camp and a renewed sense of focus, Joshua picked apart Ruiz in the rematch, with the fight leaving even the most passionate Ruiz fans questioning how he ever pulled off the upset in the first place.

Usyk, on the other hand, is no late replacement for anyone, and he has been on the same path towards the heavyweight throne as Joshua since their amateur days. At the London 2012 Olympics, where Joshua collected the super-heavyweight gold medal, Usyk ran through the heavyweight division, and has since put together a perfect record in the cruiserweight weight class.

After building a record of 16-0, including going 7-0 in cruiserweight world title fights, Usyk made the decision to make the jump up to heavyweight, and after wins against Chazz Witherspoon and Derek Chisora, he earned his shot against Joshua, and took it with both hands.

For Joshua, this time there was no lack of planning, and there was no reason to underestimate Usyk's world-class ability – in other words, there were no excuses. So how can he make sure the rematch is nothing like the original, and become a three-time world champion in the process?

Exploit Usyk's weaknesses

Usyk is a near-perfect heavyweight fighter, with power in his hands to sting anyone, while retaining the foot speed and agility of a much smaller cruiserweight – but like every boxer, he has flaws, and tendencies that can be exploited.

Without a doubt, Usyk fights best as the aggressor, taking the centre of the ring and marching forward to force his opponents to fight with their back near the ropes and nowhere to run.

But Joshua is the bigger (six-foot-six against six-foot-three), longer (82 inch reach against 78 inch reach) and younger (32 against 35) fighter, meaning he has the physical tools necessary to deny Usyk his desired position as the ring general dictating the pressure.

Also, in Usyk's two most competitive world title fights – a majority decision win against Mairis Briedis and a unanimous decision against Murat Gassiev – he showed his defence is far from impenetrable, particularly against left hooks and body shots. The left hook in particular, including feints, seem to draw out the biggest reaction from Usyk, who usually opts to retreat and reset as opposed to firing back a counter.

He is also far from a quick-starter, instead opting to remain relatively cautious through the opening few rounds as he measures his distance and timing, before increasing his pace and volume in the second half of the fight to overwhelm his tiring opponents.

If Joshua is able to hold the centre of the ring early, rely on his length advantage to keep Usyk on the outside, and make a concerted effort to focus on body shots whenever the Ukrainian closes the distance, he could find himself with a healthy early advantage and the momentum heading into the middle stages of the fight.

 

Identify what went wrong in the first fight

Both Gassiev and Briedis fought in an orthodox stance, just as Joshua does, while Usyk fights out of the southpaw stance – meaning Joshua will have his left foot forward, and Usyk will have his right foot forward.

In orthodox versus southpaw matchups, the fight is often decided by the footwork battle, and Usyk dominated in that department for all 12 rounds in his first look at Joshua.

Whoever controls the 'outside' foot position is able to fire straight shots to the body and head with their rear hand, while also being able to easily circle away from their opponent's straight shots as they try to punch across their body diagonally.

While Usyk has the advantage as far as foot speed goes, the problem in the first fight was more about Joshua's willingness to concede the positioning battle and try to punch his way out of it, which led to plenty of flailing swings and a lack of clean connection.

One way to dissuade the southpaw from taking the preferred position is to aggressively use the left hook early – to the head, as Joshua loves to do, but more so the body – as it will come from the direction Usyk is constantly trying to move, lean and escape to, while his southpaw stance naturally exposes the vulnerable liver area.

If Usyk begins to feel like that left hook is coming every time he moves towards it – or absorbs an uncomfortable blow to the liver – he could be more willing to hold a neutral stance and level the playing field, completely changing the dynamic from their first meeting and opening the door for Joshua's power and size advantage to come to the fore.

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