So, what happens when Joshua losses to Usyk a third time?

So here is the part I don't get. Please keep in mind, I am a Joshua fan, and think he saved heavyweight boxing when Fury ran from fear of drug and PED allegations. I wish the man well.

But he's not beating Usyk. I don't care that Usyk is older. I don't care that Joshua supposedly has a new attitude. Despite home-town scoring, neither of the first fights were particularly competitive except for a round here and there, and Joshua has not gotten exponentially better. Yes, Usyk has declined a bit in terms of speed, but he is setting down on his punches and hitting a little harder. He's still a beast, and he's going to beat Joshua again, if it comes off.

That is why I don't really believe that this is going to happen. If Joshua just waits Usyk out, he can fight it out with Fury or Parker for mastery of the division. Those are good competitive fights, and he can come out on top if he does the right things. Even if he loses one along the way, he can do rematches.

If he loses to Usyk a third time, he's finished.

So what does he get out of fighting Usyk a third time, really?

Agree or disagree?

 

It depends on a few factors...

• Joshua is a confidence fighter, and it seems - apparently due to working with Ben Davidson, that he has that confidence back
• Usyk has clearly declined even since the 2nd AJ fight and has achieved everything he set out, does he have the focus and werewithal to still execute at the highest level with movies and so forth going on? We will see on Dec 21st!
• Joshu seems to have found a good balance of his old explosiveness and finishing instinct, coupled with a calculated-ness - again maybe part of working with Davidson. Of course he has not fought the best opposition in his last 4 so remains to see how it translates to an Usyk. Fury or even a rejuvenated Parker encounter.
• Is Joshua's confidence back enough to stop him getting gunshy instantly when he get's tagged?
• Joshua & Davidson will have looked at Usyk v Fury in rounds 4-6 and have thought? AJ could have finished that....
• ... Father Time is always undefeated and the longer Usyk fights on, the more chance he makes a mistake and comes unstuck, and a 3rd fight with Joshua IS a risk from that POV.

Whether AJ's new confidence is delusional, or even that he and Davidson really believe they can beat Usyk a 3rd time remains to be seen.

I for one hope Usyk beats Fury and retires, as I don't want to see a 3rd fight - especially if the stars align for Joshua and Davidson

 

I'm sure he'll get a 4th attempt.

 

Maybe just a peace of mind. Maybe he's convinced he can beat him now, he sees the mistakes he's done, knows he wasn't the fighter he wanted to be back then. Even when he loses, but gives it all, he can finally live in peace, knowing that he's really done everything he could and Usyk is just much better than him.

 

Fourth times a charm

 

Lets be clear here, the 3rd fight with Usyk does not happen if AJ loses to Dubois.

The 3rd fight with Usyk only happens if it makes financial sense, not if AJ genuinely believes he is going to beat Usyk. Or if it is for his legacy or whatever BS Hearn comes up with.

Fury does not genuinely believe he beats Usyk in the rematch, but the money is too good to turn down.

 

Usyk will be declared lord and commander of the HW division for all time and Joshua's name will only be uttered in a whispered voice by the degenerates of society.

 

If AJ loses to Usyk for a 3rd time he'll just go back to fighting the Franklins and Heleniuses of the world, rack up a few small paydays, then maybe get a title shot (or gifted a paper title) when he's in his late 30s

The thing is though - and I hate to say this because I like Usyk and I really do not like AJ - Usyk beating AJ in a trilogy fight isn't guaranteed. Usyk is already quite clearly past-prime now and will be at the minimum 38 when the fight gets made. And we should consider that AJ somehow got a 115-113 card in his favour in the rematch (far worse than the 114-113 Fury card imo). With that kind of scoring, AJ just needs to make it slightly closer than last time and he'll win a narrow decision in the trilogy. Hope I'm wrong though.

 

AJ has a decent chance at beating Usyk in a 3rd fight. If you catch an old fighter at the right time, you can beat them. Look at GGG/Canelo 3. Canelo couldn't legitimately beat GGG in his semi-prime, but he can beat an old GGG who was in clear decline.

Reflexes always goes with age. You need every bit of reflexes when you're going up against much bigger fighters.

 

So this was a post to say that Canelo lost to GGG twice? Because everyone knows you can beat fighters when they are old enough.

 

It’s all down to timing now. AJ, Usyk and Fury are all a loss or an injury away from retirement. Age, wear and tear and financial security is a shadow over all of them. AJ looks physically the most equipped to go a couple more years but mentally the least likely to cope with another defeat. Fury could well ‘show up’ and cash out against AJ if he loses the Usyk rerun. Usyk has been losing a step fight by fight and might just sale off into the sunset after a tough Fury rematch. Then again, he might take that one fight too many and meet a potentially peak AJ if Joshua’s stars align. The next 18 months is so hard to predict.

 

I predict Usyk is beating Fury again, so he should next fight the winner of Parker vs whomever or the winner of Zhang vs Bakole.
Fury should absolutely fight Joshua next.
Wilder should get retired by Ngannou.

 

The only thing that Joshua has going for him over Usyk is age. This whole "it's a new AJ" is a load of nonsense, we heard it all before in the run up to the 1st and 2nd Usyk fights and look how they turned out.

Usyk will be 38 by the time they fight so because of that Joshua has a chance but prime for prime Usyk beats Joshua 9 times out of 10.

 

this all the way. being slow vs aj as a much smaller dude = doom.

 

It a good post but confidence doesn't beat footwork and head movement.