Oleksander Usyk’s (19-0, 13 KOs) remarkable performance against Anthony Joshua (24-2, 22 KOs) to lift the unified WBA/WBO and IBF/IBO heavyweight titles away in front of a stunned Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, England yesterday is another reminder of how difficult it is for a fighter to perform at their highest level fighting just once per-year.
I’m not saying Joshua lost because of inactivity because, Usyk performed better, did more, was more assertive, and was the tougher boxer and deserved to have won the biggest fight of his career on the largest stage with more than 60,000 in attendance with millions watching at home.
The problem I’m talking about is when fighters get into a mode of competing once per-year, it may appear that these guys are constantly training and remain in top form. However, a lingering injury may have occurred and a fighter, or athlete may have had a minor surgery to repair an ailment. Maybe a fighter simply is just waiting around for a fight date, or at home doing nothing. Most often, we honestly don’t know what these guys are doing, or not doing) while they are away. One thing is certain, inactivity, especially for an older athlete that’s expected to perform at the highest levels, can affect their performance regardless of they win, or lose.
Joshua was arguably the #1 heavyweight on the planet, but a stunning defeat to Andy Ruiz in the summer of 2019 at Madison Square Garden in New York enabled Tyson Fury, the WBC heavyweight champion, and Deontay Wilder, the former champ of more than five years to close within reach of the top spot.
Credit to Joshua for regaining the unified titles at the time in December 2019, but to the disappointment of many, Joshua was hesitant, content, and complacent with controlling Ruiz with his power and reach toward an uneventful unanimous-decision.
Then the COVID-19 pandemic affected everyone and everything on a global scale. The boxing industry, as well as many other practices in the health care, education, law, finance, entertainment, produce, agriculture, manufacturing, and even government were all hampered.
Joshua didn’t return to the ring following the rematch with Ruiz until December 2020, exactly one while year until he fought Kurbat Pulev, the IBF mandatory challenger. Joshua appeared, trimmed, fast, and strong. He was ready for Pulev’s antics, as he knocked the rough, rugged, and unpredictable Pulev out.
Although successful, it was difficult to access where exactly Joshua was as a fighter following the two fight with Ruiz in 2019 because, Pulev was a dramatic step down in terms of quality of opposition in comparison to Ruiz.
Throughout 2021, there was a reported deal agreed to between Matchroom Boxing boss Eddie Hearn and Top Rank’s Bob Arum to stage JOSHUA vs. FURY in Saudi Arabia. Each fighter stood to make a reported $100 a piece, but an injunction filed by Wilder blocked the potentially lucrative fight because, an Arbitrator ruled in Wilder’s favor that a third fight between Fury and himself must happen instead.
Hearn immediately began negotiations with Usyk, the WBO mandatory, who has been training and waiting for his career opportunity for a very long time.
The point it, by the time Joshua entered into the ring with Usyk, Joshua has already been out of the ring for more than nine months. Usyk was the most compelling and toughest test – the only test – Joshua would have since he fought Ruiz in 21 months – nearly two years!
Was the expectation that Joshua, without having competed in a competitive fight in almost two years, would be as stellar and recognizable as the Joshua that defeated Carlos Takam, Dominic Breazeale, Carlos Molina, Charles Martin, Dillian Whyte, Joseph Parker, and Wladimir Klitschko more than two years ago?
The Joshua was saw that unified the heavyweight championships was tough, strong, athletic, and an outright beast who happened to be undefeated. The Joshua that saw compete against Usyk, was uncomfortable, slim, confused, hesitant, and lacked the killer instinct that made him a champion.
Joshua did not have the same passion, fire and desire that led him to the Klitschko fight – one of the Greatest World Heavyweight Championship fights we’ve seen in years in front of 90,000 in Wembley Stadium – almost 4 ½ years ago.
Credit to Uysk, of course, as he boxed the match of his career. Usyk brought the fight straight to Joshua and was comfortable asserting himself as the next world heavyweight champion from start to finish. Usyk’s head movement from side-to-side was sharp and difficult to time. Usyk, as a southpaw (left-handed) boxer, was so unbothered by Joshua’s right-hand, the challenger kept moving to the left and couldn’t miss with his straight left that almost closed Joshua’s right eye.
Usyk was digging away at Joshua’s noticeably thin waistline. Usyk, the smaller fighter, had hands heavy enough to dig away at Joshua’s body, driving him backward on many occasions. When Usyk decided to ‘let his hands go,’ he drove Joshua backwards either against the ropes, or an uncomfortable space every time.
Usyk had Joshua wobbled on several occasions during the fight, as he nearly KO’d Joshua in the twelfth and final round to cement his own legacy in boxing.
Usyk, like Joshua, is a former Olympic Gold champion. Usyk was an undefeated WBC, WBA, WBO, IBF, IBO and Ring Magazine champion and cruiserweight before moving up to heavyweight for his chance to defeat Joshua.
And just like that, over the course of time, the once mouthwatering JOSHUA vs. WILDER fight blew-up in smoke, as guys like Ruiz, Fury, and now Usyk have broken the windows, busted down the doors, and have name for themselves by simply beating up the once universally recognized #1 & #2 heavyweights on the planet.
As Joshua will figure things out whether he wants to do a rematch with Usyk, all eyes will point toward FURY vs. WILDER III on October 9, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Walker on Boxing 