Boxing: Joshua vs. Usyk II Preview – Can Anthony Joshua regain a quartet of belts against Ukrainian tough man?

Oleksandr Usyk shocked the boxing world when he defeated Anthony Joshua via unanimous decision to win the WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, and IBO heavyweight titles on September 25, 2021.

Now, Usyk must defend those belts against Joshua in a rematch for the ages. The two fighters are preparing for the bout as a big autumn of boxing is upon us.

Joshua versus Usyk II is arguably the biggest boxing match of the year. The two fighters will touch gloves in August. You won’t want to miss this incredible match and it is certainly worth a punt.

Joshua versus Usyk II was originally set to take place at the end of July. Due to some delays, the bout was changed to Saturday, August 20, 2022.

All four titles Usyk won from Joshua match No. 1 will be on the line in the rematch. There is hope from some boxing fans that Tyson Fury will challenge the winner of the bout. For years, fight fans have been begging for a Fury versus Joshua bout.

If Joshua wins, we could finally get it. Fury is currently the WBC and The Ring magazine heavyweight champion.

Anthony Joshua vs Oleksandr Usyk II Location

Joshua versus Usyk II will take place in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The bout will be held in the  King Abdullah Sports City Arena.

Previously, Joshua fought Andy Ruiz in Saudi Arabia in December 2019. Joshua won back the belts he had dropped to Ruiz just months prior.

What time is Anthony Joshua vs Oleksandr Usyk II?

The card will start at 6 p.m. UK time which is 1 p.m. Eastern Standard Time in the United States. The main event ring introductions are expected to start around 9 p.m. UK time and 4 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.

Anthony Joshua vs Oleksandr Usyk II Betting Odds

After winning as the underdog in the first bout, Usyk is the odds-on favorite to win the rematch. Usyk is -200 to win the bout. This means you will need to wager $200 on Usyk to win to gain $100.

Joshua is the underdog at odds of +165. This means you will only need to wager $100 to win $165 if Joshua is the winner of the fight.

While Usyk is the bookies’ favorite, keep in mind that Joshua went to Saudi Arabia and defeated Ruiz to win back his belts. Can he do it again?

Betting odds courtesy of BetUS

  • Usyk -200
  • Joshua +165

The implied probability of Usyk’s odds is 66.67. Joshua’s implied probability is 37.74.

What’s the undercard?

  • Anthony Joshua vs Oleksandr Usyk II
  • Badou Jack vs Richard Rivera
  • Callum Smith vs Mathieu Bauderlique (WBC light-heavyweight final eliminator)
  • Filip Hrgovic vs Zhilei Zhang (IBF heavyweight final eliminator)
  • Tyron Spong vs Andrew Tabiti
  • Daniel Lapin vs Jozef Jurko
  • Ramla Ali vs Crystal Garcia Nova
  • Ziyad Almaayouf vs Hector Alatorre

Anthony Joshua vs Oleksandr Usyk II: Who will win?

Usyk is considered the second-best pound-for-pound fighter in the world according to The Ring Magazine. He is 19-0 going into the fight and will be determined to defeat Joshua a second time.

Usyk, a Ukrainian, was a part of Ukraine’s fight against Russia. He ended his participation in the war to focus on fighting Joshua in boxing’s biggest rematch of the year.

Joshua has been called soft by a number of critics since losing to Usyk. Some have even said the fame has gone to Joshua’s head.

This bout is very similar to the one Joshua had against Ruiz, as was the boxer’s defeat to Usyk. Ruiz’s win over Joshua was a fluke and he failed to replicate it in the rematch.

Usyk should have no such issues. The Ukrainian should win the bout in a strong showing versus Joshua. The question for sports bettors may regard how many rounds the bout will go rather than which fighter will win the match.

Anthony Joshua vs Oleksandr Usyk II Pick

  • Usyk to win
  • Over 10.5 rounds

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