Joshua like Tyson was the overwhelming favourite in the first fight vs Usyk. People still thought Tyson had a good chance in the rematch but once Holyfield dominated the first few rounds the writing was on the wall, it destroyed Tyson's will to fight on. If Usyk wins two of the first three rounds it's game over for Joshua. The question is will Joshua go out guns blazing or fizzle out Parker-esque?
So what you're saying is expect Joshua to bite Usyk after Usyk repeatedly headbutts Joshua? Got it. Look if you want to start a thread on Holyfield vs Tyson do so. However this analogy is a poor one at best. Joshua never had Tysons aura of invincibility and certainly didn't have it going into his first fight with Usyk due to being destroyed by the fat kid that ate snickers like they were tic tacs.
Few things in the first bout. People didn't expect AJ to try and outbox the boxer AND when AJ did tag him he reset! Poor tactics. Also Uysk has clearly been hiding his power level...first 4 rounds he was on fire then he relaxed a little and was cruising.
When was Joshua ever the overwhelming favourite over Usyk ? The general consensus by many on here and involved in boxing all knew Usyk would beat Joshua . Hearn and Joshua both even new hence the rematchroom in the contract and why Usyk is forced into the rematch otherwise he was not getting the first fight !
Tyson had lost to Douglas and went to war with Ruddock. You could say he was in a similar place to what Joshua was before the first fight, even worse given his lifestyle out of the ring. He was seen as the power punching knockout artist like Joshua but the former cruiserweight humbled him just like Usyk did. Usyk didn't impress much in his heavyweight bouts prior to the Joshua fight. Bellew, Witherspoon and Chisora were hardly amazing wins. His victory was a surprise.
Joshua was a 1/2 favourite the first time, he's a 2/1 underdog this time. It's not really overwhelming either way. Holyfield was something like a 25/1(!) underdog against Tyson the first time and still a substantial underdog in the rematch lmao. It just goes to show how insanely overhyped Tyson was. At least AJ lost most of his lustre after getting beat down and made to quit by 25/1 underdog Fat Andy, Tysonmania continued for many years after he got beaten to a pulp by 42/1 underdog Douglas. Tyson was always a big or insane favourite in the fights he lost, save the Lewis fight where he was a mild underdog.
I get what you're saying and especially with the first few rounds, but it wasn't a surprise to many to see Usyk beat Joshua. Joshua only entered one 50-50 in his career against an old, inactive Klitschko in a home stadium, and went life and death. His other wins are pathetic and he still managed to lose to a fat blob who was on short notice. Not just lose but be battered. Any good heavyweight would have beaten Takam, Martin, Breazeale, Molina, Pulev and co.
"He knocked out a lot of bums post-prison" He did, though Bruno and Golota were pretty good boxers. If you had a relatively weak chin and a weak fighting mentality, he was still very dangerous.
Actually a pretty decent comparison. Both AJ and Tyson were undefeated champs knocking almost everyone out until they suffered huge upsets. They came back and became champs afterwords, but didn't seem to be the same fighters they once were. They then both lost to ATG cruiserweights in fights they were expected to win, and took them on in immediate rematches. I doubt AJ will do anything like biting a chunk out of Usyk's ear in their rematch though.
Both also KO'd the old lineal champ who had already been dethroned by someone else on points and was coming off an extended layoff. Both were exposed as overhyped bully fighters with quit in them.
