Oleksandr Usyk vs Anthony Joshua 2 takes place this Saturday and the fighters were on duty today for the final press conference before the bout.
It’s a rematch between the two after Usyk defeated Joshua via unanimous decision in September of last year. The first fight was billed as ‘The Perfect Storm’ and the clash on August 20 could be even better.
In the original fight, Usyk became only the third boxer in history to win titles at both cruiserweight and heavyweight.
He comes into this fight as the champion, which may put extra pressure on the Ukrainian heading into the rematch.
Since Usyk was able to defeat Joshua in fairly convincing fashion, it put a stop to any hopes AJ had of a clash with Tyson Fury before his eventual 'retirement' in the spring of 2022.
Due to the ongoing crisis in Ukraine, both fighters had to wait a while to get this eventual clash scheduled, but it is finally set and finally upon us.
The build up has been intense as many would’ve expected, but to close out the final presser this afternoon, Usyk left us with a very entertaining display, showing how cool, calm and collected he truly is.
Joshua came into the last meeting between the two with a very serious approach. He was much more focused than he had been in previous press conferences as the fight draws nearer. He was very calm while his opponent seemed relaxed in a different way.
Usyk had a crazed look in his eye as he enjoyed the face off and once it had finished he launched into a performance.
He began to lead the crowd in a chant of ‘Oy U Luzy, Chervona Kalyna’ which is a tribute to his homeland of Ukraine. It became synonymous with the Ukrainian army during World War I and has resurfaced due to the conflict in the country today.
Usyk takes the emotions of the events in Ukraine with him to the ring this Saturday, hopefully using it to propel him on to victory.
He has seriously bulked up in preparation for this fight with both fighters coming into Saudi Arabia with a plan to knock the other out.
It’ll surely be an awesome fight between two top fighters, it’s certainly been a long time in the making.