Oleksandr Usyk v Anthony Joshua predictions and free boxing betting tips

Free boxing tips, best bets and analysis for the rematch between Oleksandr Usyk and Anthony Joshua from Saudi Arabia on Saturday night.

Where to watch

Sky Sports Box Office, approximately 10.30pm Saturday

Best bet

Oleksandr Usyk to win by stoppage
2pts 2-1 general

Tale of the tape

Big-fight preview

Oleksandr Usyk and Anthony Joshua go head to head again for the WBA, WBO & IBF world heavyweight titles in a super Saturday night showdown in Saudi Arabia.

Usyk wrestled the belts from the Brit in the first contest between the pair at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last year. The Ukrainian scored a dominant points victory in London, but there are differences going into the second bout.

Firstly, Usyk went off a 9-4 shot for the 2021 contest but is now the 4-7 favourite for a repeat victory. It’s also worth considering what is likely to be a change of approach from Joshua.

AJ had a size, power, reach and weight advantage in the first fight, but the Watford puncher failed to exert any of those superiorities on his opponent.

The Brit failed to close the gap, failed to land any meaningful shots on Usyk and didn’t use his physical strength to slow down or tire the Ukrainian. The 32-year-old instead attempted to outbox and outmove one of the most gifted and skilful fighters on the planet.

Joshua appears to be well aware of those errors and the Watford man has promised to change his approach in the rematch. If AJ does go on the front foot, attempt to get on the inside of Usyk, take chances and open up, there’s likely to be a different outcome in the rematch. The Saudi Arabia showdown could end in a Usyk stoppage victory.

It’s worth remembering that the Cat came mighty close to stopping AJ in London and that was with a massively negative approach. It’s not as simple as the Watford man just altering his tactics and turning the fight in his favour. Yes, Joshua is saying the right things, but are the reasons behind the conservative approach being accurately communicated?

The Brit hasn’t been the same fighter since he was stopped and dropped by Andy Ruiz in 2019. It’s certainly plausible that a fear of being caught with a big shot is the reason for Joshua going into his shell. Is the Brit still prepared to take a shot in order to land one on his opponent?

For much of AJ’s career he has been in with fighters who he has been able to control and dominate, but when you look into the times he faced a serious test, the record becomes rather patchy.

Joshua has faced just a handful of top-level heavyweights in his career. He was beaten by Usyk, knocked down by Wladimir Klitschko, stopped by Andy Ruiz and rocked by Alexander Povetkin and Dillian Whyte. Yes, AJ won three of those bouts, but when you look at those performances as a whole, punch resistance becomes a major question mark.

That aside, Usyk isn’t simply going to let Joshua do as he likes and land shots when he sees fit. If anything the Ukrainian is likely to pepper even more shots on an open Joshua chin and that could spell trouble for the Brit.

The Simferopol southpaw is one of the best boxers we have seen, he is a genuine pound-for-pound contender, and because of the perceived wrong tactics and poor performance from Joshua in the first fight, the Cat still isn’t getting the cream he deserves.

AJ couldn’t even see punches more accurate than a Harry Kane penalty coming in his direction at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, never mind get out of the way of them, and Joshua could well get more desperate and reckless as the rematch progresses and the world title belts drift further away.

Usyk may not quite have the one-punch power to end a top-level heavyweight contest in an instant, but he does have the skills, variety, movement, timing and conditioning to land blow after blow on a British chin.

If Joshua loads up power punches in the first half of the fight, he is also likely to tire as the bout moves into the latter rounds and that could further open the door for a stoppage defeat.

Offers of 4-7 about a Usyk victory look fair as there’s nothing of substance to suggest AJ can turn the tables and if anything things could get worse for the Brit. It’s 2-1 that Usyk stops Joshua and that looks a knockout bet.

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