Sky Sports pundit Johnny Nelson still thinks that Oleksandr Usyk is an 'average southpaw'.

That's despite him boxing the ears off Anthony Joshua at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last September.

Joshua, 32, had the unified heavyweight belts ripped from his clutches as Usyk, 35, was simply the better man on the night.

However, former cruiserweight world champion Nelson, 55, reckons there's something about the Ukrainian's fighting style that isn't quite right.

Nelson told iFL TV: "Usyk is a good fighter, come on.

"He's a good, good fighter. Is it an impossible win for Anthony Joshua? No it's not. I think Usyk is going to earn his stripes and he's going to have to fight for that recognition and respect from the world.

"He's a brilliant fighter, but I'm not going to get carried away with the sheep, I say what I see.

"As a southpaw, he's an average southpaw. When you're looking at the southpaw style, that's what I'm saying, if you know your boxing, if you know the technical side of boxing, you'll get where I'm coming from.

"If you're a sheep, then you're going to say, 'I can't believe he's said that'.

Anthony Joshua and Oleksandr Usyk will rematch in Saudi Arabia on August 20

"He's an outstanding fighter and I said that when he was four fights in as a professional. When I saw him sparring with Klitschko. I said this guy compared to what's around is the heir apparent compared to what's around.

"And these are the points. Look at the facts. The devil is in the detail."

And while many have dismissed Joshua's chances of exacting revenge on Usyk, Nelson has refused to write him off so easily.

He added: "I do give him a chance, you know.

"People have written him off and I'm like why are you making that same mistake again?

"Look at the two of them when they came out. Usyk looked like he'd been hit by a truck. Anthony Joshua tried to box Usyk's style of fighting and came off second best.

"He didn't get stopped, he came off second best.

"He didn't take advantage of his size, his strength, and the successes that got him there.

"If he goes in there to fight with the same tactics again, he loses, fact, but I don't think he does, I really don't think he does.

"So again if you don't want to fall on your sword and you don't want to say what's in your head and say what you see, then don't, be a sheep. But what I'm saying to you is, you've got to say what you see.

"Anthony Joshua has got it within him to beat him but this is a much, much harder rematch than the Ruiz fight but not an impossible task."

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