Ben Davison on Joshua's tactics for Usyk rematch

Ben Davison
Ben Davison

Former Tyson Fury trainer Ben Davison, who currently works with welterweight king Josh Taylor, spoke about the rematch between Anthony Joshua And Oleksandr Usykwhich is currently scheduled for June.

“If you do not control the space in the ring, you cannot control your opponent. Joshua was fixated on a bookish approach, boxing with his left hand. He wanted to control Usyk's front leg with his front leg at all costs. But to understand everything, you just need to watch Usyk knock out Tony Bellew. Tony was in a potentially advantageous position during the knockout but was decapitated," said Davison, who believes Joshua was so focused on footwork that he allowed Usyk to box in the center of the ring.

“Joshua will not win a boxing match against Usyk in the center of the ring. He must control the ring and make Usyka work at the middle distance. If he manages to create a favorable scenario for himself, he has a chance to win. But he must fight where it suits him,” the Briton added.

“In a fight between a classic right-hander and a left-hander, there will always be a struggle for position, but you can’t let Usyk dictate the pace, you have to push him away, unbalance, break his rhythm. Then you can hit more often and more accurately. In my opinion, Joshua has a chance of winning if he chooses the right tactics and prepares properly. However, Usyk will probably win, although I would like AJ to win, because I hope that we will see him fight Tyson Fury, ”summed up the coach.

Usyk, the reigning IBF, WBA and WBO heavyweight champion, toppled Joshua last September in London with a unanimous points win. The winner of the meeting Joshua - Usyk II will meet the winner of the fight Tyson Fury vs Dillian Whyte at Wembley Stadium on April 23.