Anthony Joshua tips Usyk to defeat Fury in rematch

Anthony Joshua has thrown his support behind former rival Oleksandr Usyk to secure another victory over Tyson Fury when the two heavyweight titans clash on December 21 in Riyadh.

Joshua, who was ringside on May 18 when Usyk claimed a split-decision win over Fury to become the undisputed heavyweight champion, believes the Ukrainian will once again outclass “The Gypsy King” in their highly anticipated rematch.

“I think it’s going to be a tough fight early on, and then I feel like Usyk will edge it again,” Joshua said in an interview with Queensberry Promotions. “He’s a class operator, so I think Usyk’s one of the best out there. That’s why I think he’ll win.”

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Usyk will defend his WBC, WBA, and WBO titles in the bout, having vacated the IBF belt after his initial triumph over Fury. The IBF title was subsequently awarded to Daniel Dubois, who defended it with a fifth-round stoppage of Joshua at Wembley Stadium in September.

Joshua, who has suffered two defeats at the hands of Usyk, appeared set for a rematch with Dubois. However, injuries sidelined the British star, with his promoter Eddie Hearn confirming that Dubois will now face Joseph Parker on February 22.

Looking ahead, Hearn expressed optimism about Joshua’s future, revealing plans for high-stakes matchups with either Dubois or Fury in 2024.

“It’s weird saying it after a knockout defeat, but AJ is actually in a really good position,” Hearn told BBC Sport. “We’re going to fight Dubois or Fury next. That’s it. No other interest or warm-up.”

Hearn also acknowledged the potential complications of scheduling: “It would be frustrating if we made the Dubois rematch and Fury won [against Usyk]. Then we’re sitting there going, ‘hang on a minute, we’re fighting Dubois, but we could have fought Fury in May for the biggest fight in boxing.’

“Win or lose, we can fight Fury next summer. But if he wins, AJ fights him for the world title.”