Former cruiserweight champion Johnny Nelson believes that Anthony Joshua quite capable of revenge Oleksandr Usyk in their planned rematch. In September last year, Usyk outboxed Joshua and took away his IBF, WBO and WBA heavyweight titles at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Joshua wasted no time in taking advantage of the immediate rematch clause. Their second meeting is scheduled for July 23 in the Middle East.
Joshua first felt the bitterness of defeat in 2019, when Andy Ruiz sent him to the floor four times and got an early stoppage in the seventh round. Six months later, in Saudi Arabia, Joshua got his revenge by outboxing Ruiz to regain the heavyweight crown.
Nelson obviously thinks this rematch is much more of a challenge than getting back at Ruiz, but says it's entirely possible for Joshua to get stronger in a second encounter.
“I think it's a tough fight, I think it's a tougher rematch for AJ than a rematch with Ruiz. But this is not an impossible task. I think that AJ has everything to defeat Usyk. I watched Usyk from his first days, seven fights as a professional, and I already said then that this guy is the direct heir to the reigning champions, ”Nelson said in an interview with Planet Sport.
“The problem is that once everyone knows who you are and what you can do, everyone can make plans for you. Now Joshua will approach the fight differently. I do not know what tactics he will choose, but I believe that this is quite a feasible task, although difficult, ”Nelson added.
