Joshua vs Usyk The Official Prediction Thread

Agreed, I haven't looked forward to a fight so much since AJ vs Wlad.

I want AJ to win but I think k it will be a points win for Usyk.

 

Yes it will be a really close fight I am sure.

I can see two scenarios occurring here.

AJ establishes his jab and uses his reach and strength advantage to keep Usyk honest. Usyk as a result doesn’t do enough and loses the majority of close rounds and loses the fight. AJ isn’t particularly dominant here but he does just about enough.

Or Usyk dominates the second half of the fight but leaves a lot of the opening rounds open to interpretation. He lacks the power to stop AJ even though he deserves a decision win. Usyk uses his superior movement and boxing ability to make AJ look stiff and wooden at times, but that stoppage eludes him.

He loses the decision because AJ is the golden goose and the judges favour him. The pundits will say well I had AJ winning 5 of the first 6 and the 11th, so an AJ win isn’t a robbery.

We have two elite level boxers here at the highest level and I personally cannot see a stoppage.

In either scenario AJ wins on points on the official cards so I am going for AJ points.

 

I see this fight playing out like the Lennox Lewis vs. Željko Mavrović fight years ago. Usyk will make it an awkward fight but not do enough to trouble AJ or even win the fight. AJ should win but it won't be pretty and the crowd may bo from time to time from lack of action because Usyk will be running all over the place. And if Usyk get aggressive, he gets knocked out.

 

Joshua UD.

He will cope with Usyk's movement by engaging in a chess match with him instead of trying to attack Usyk and waste his stamina.

Joshua wins the early rounds behind a jab while Usyk is taking in info. Usyk ramps up the pace later on. Joshua boxes and tries to find Usyk with a straight right down the pipe to check him. Joshua will be clinching a lot too. He does enough to win over 12

7-5 or 8-4 rounds favoring Joshua

 

Completely wrong assumption.
In order not to get KOed he needs to hurt A.J. He will not run around and score points here vs not hurt A.J all 12 rounds.
A.J might be relatively mobile and does have better footwork than Gassiev and also longer reach.
A.J does have longer reach than Briedis and Usyk will feel difference here.
A.J is lesser predictable and with longer reach &really damn more mobile than Chisora. This too Usyk will get quickly.

Conclusion: in order not to get KOed Usyk needs to get A.J dizzy. This doesn't have mandatory meaning that he needs to drop A.J, nope.

A.J chin should be at least a bit suspect here, sorry. Temples too are here and liver all ppl does have equal.

The same Linares vs Loma fight might be good example for this one: Linares normally ate Lomas punches to head, nothing happened with him, then Loma had landed 1 single liver punch and game was " Game over ".
The same had happened with Campbell in fight vs this King Ryang. 1 liver punch and he was like Linares vs Loma.

I actually don't see nor Usyk nor A.J as deadly 1 punch KO artists.

Yeah, even bulked up Usyk will be more mobile than Parker, he also isn't 41 y.o ring rusty uncle or 39 y.o over the hill uncle.
Past prime, long mileage under belt, 34 y.o.
To hit Usyk really properly will be more difficult than anyone A.J had in the pro ring.

Unless yeah, if Usyk will attempt ran circles around A.J, appeared close to ropes, then A.J might press Usyk with 1 hand in the ropes and land on him with another hand. Why not? A.J does have longer reach than Usyk and this will help him to do this.

A.J also might clinch Usyk and maul him, why not?

 

I don’t mind who wins this one, just don’t want any controversy to spoil it. Have to agree with @MarkusFlorez99 above in how it will play out. Joshua by a competitive but unanimous decision

 

I think Usyk will be too inactive here. It has shown that he doesn’t have the power to truly trouble heavyweights, and whilst he has the skills to move around AJ he doesn’t have the power to keep him honest. I think AJ will start slow and Usyk might pick up a few early rounds, but at some point AJ will plow forward and hurt Usyk. After this, I imagine Usyk will just move around trying to pot shot and lose the majority of the rounds. 9-3 AJ on points, fairly dull contest I’m saying.

 

I can’t see AJ being elusive against usyk like he was in the Ruiz rematch for 12 rounds. Usyk is too busy and unorthodox for that to work.

Usyk will know he probably gets done on the cards if it goes the distance so he will need to empty the tank at some point.

I can see AJ getting caught with something early on but like others have mentioned here I don’t think usyk hits hard enough at heavyweight to stop AJ.

be interesting to see who takes center of the ring early on.

After some shakey early rounds for both I’ve got AJ settling down better with the jab and nipping a ud in a lacklustre fight

 

AJ KO for me. I just dont think this is the same Usyk of 2017/8. He will be a challenge for AJ at first but i can see him hanging around in the pocket those split seconds too much and getting hurt. How he reacts will determine how the fight goes but i think he gets stopped lateish.

 

The bookies have AJ the favourite to win and by stoppage

 

AJ by KO.

At some stage, a vicious flurry of punches are going to connect with Usyk, no matter how crafty and elusive he can be.

He will... feel.

 

Usyk late stoppage or Joshua a controversial points victory. The odds are against usyk. The crowd. The judges in aj home town. Aj bigger man

All points to a aj victory.... but
Aj lost badly very badly to ruiz who couldn't dent a ancient arreola. Has been wobbled by whyte. Hurt by wlad ,never seen usyk in any real big trouble. Hits harder than most give him credit and has never lost ,always finds a way to win and is a far more Intelligent boxer than aj will ever be if he fights to a perfect game plan he will win or get robbed. Will stick my neck on line and say usyk to win by ko in 9th or 10th.

Should be a good fight. And if usyk does win. A gold medalist undisputed cruiserweight champ and unified hw champ. He will go down as a all time great.

 

Tony Dosh PPV by KO within 5 - if not he could be in for a very long hard night.

 

You could make an argument for so many scenarios, however I'm going to go for usyk between 7 and 12. 12/1.

Joshua will be up after 6, then I feel usyk takes over and stops a tired joshua late on.