After his second career loss to the new Ukrainian Heavyweight champion and former Cruiserweight great Oleksandr Usyk at The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in September, Anthony Joshua is in a precarious position in his career.

After retaining his WBO, WBA, IBO and IBF Heavyweight titles against foe Andy Ruiz Jr in 2019, he has since gone on to knock out Kubrat Pulev before a would-be fantasy match-up with British rival Tyson Fury was cancelled.

Joshua’s loss to Usyk has shaken up the already interesting Heavyweight picture. With Tyson Fury top dog after defeating Deontay Wilder in their trilogy bout, potential fights will be made in the upcoming months.

For AJ, the question remains on where does he go from here now that he has lost his belts for a second time.

Let’s find out.

Oleksandr Usyk 

Somewhat of a shock loss to the Ukrainian, Usyk proved to be too skilled, too good and too much for AJ in their first fight. From the very first round, Joshua seemed confused at how to approach the fight with Usyk cutting angles and catching the Brit numerous times with his looping left.

Being a southpaw and a great one at that was always going to be a difficult challenge for AJ to overcome, but for many, and me included. I predicted Joshua would be too big, too strong and being a natural Heavyweight would get him over the line here.

In the end, Usyk proved everyone wrong, dominating AJ throughout, outboxing him and almost stopping him in the 12th Round.

If Joshua is to retain his titles in their eventual rematch, a new gameplan will need to be thought off, trying to box a boxer was a terrible decision and it cost him greatly.

Excitement: 7/10

Likelihood of Victory: 6/10

Potential to happen Next: 10/10

Tyson Fury

The biggest fight in British boxing history and what was seen as the biggest fight to make not long ago, the fight between AJ and Fury was so close to being made, but because of the pandemic and Deontay Wilder, the plug was pulled.

Since then, both fighters have had their contractual fights, with Joshua losing and Fury overcoming Wilder’s power to retain his WBC title.

Fans will still want this fight to happen, but the magic has been lost with Joshua taking another loss, further delaying the match-up.

With Joshua’s underwhelming performance against Usyk and Fury managing to knock-out Wilder for a second time, Fury would be a clear favourite if they ever were to box one another. But, if AJ can overcome his demons and Fury defeats his mandatory title defence, all signs will lead to the fight everyone wants.

Excitement: 10/10

Likelihood of Victory: 5/10

Potential to happen Next: 7/10

Deontay Wilder

The modern-day Lennox Lewis and Riddick Bowe, Joshua and Wilder missed the boat in terms of pulling off the first undisputed champion since 2002. With disagreements over purses, contracts and small details, the fight that boxing needed was dead in the water, personified by Joshua shockingly losing to Ruiz Jr in New York in 2019.

With Wilder now 36 and coming to the twilight end of his career, the fight has to be made within the next 2-3 years to give boxing fans a definitive answer on who is the better man between the pair.

Win or lose in his rematch with Usyk, Joshua may well finally get in the ring with Wilder. With the Bronze Bomber seemingly out of the WBC title picture with his second loss to Fury, the road may be clear for a showdown with his British rival in a fight that should have happened 3 years ago.

Excitement: 8/10

Likelihood of Victory: 7/10

Potential to happen Next: 8/10

Dillian Whyte

Joshua’s long time British rival Dillian Whyte has a score to settle with the man who handed him his first professional defeat back in 2015 with a devasting KO. This was after a heated build-up, with jibes thrown back and forth after Whyte defeated Joshua in the amateurs years prior.

Now, Whyte is scheduled to fight Tyson Fury for the WBC title if he defeats challenger Otto Wallin in October. If Joshua wins back his belts and his Whyte manages to defeat Wallin and then pull off an upset against Fury, the rematch between the pair could be on the cards.

Excitement: 6/10

Likelihood of Victory: 8/10

Potential to happen Next: 4/10

What’s Next for Anthony Joshua?

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Anthony Joshua will defend his WBA, WBO, IBF and IBO titles against tricky Ukrainian specialist  Oleksandr Usyk on September 25 at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium.

Joshua was scheduled to fight Tyson Fury to unify the Heavyweight division in what would have been the biggest fight in British boxing history this month, but due to the arbitration from Deontay Wilder, Fury will close off his rivalry with the Alabama boxer in their trilogy bout on October 9th.

His opponent, Oleksandr Usyk is an Olympic gold medallist (like Joshua) from London 2012. The 18-0 professional moved up from cruiserweight in 2019, defeating heavyweights Chazz Witherspoon and Derek Chisora on his way to being set to fight Joshua.

Usyk will be Joshua’s toughest opponent to date, his footwork, movement and overall boxing ability is something Joshua has yet to face in his quest for heavyweight supremacy.

To whom this may concern…@DAZNBoxing https://t.co/6s1SLn8bWd pic.twitter.com/sdqMQFjP2w

— Anthony Joshua (@anthonyjoshua) September 18, 2021

Joshua spoke on the fight with great enthusiasm;

“Look where we are now, Joshua versus Usyk, it’s probably bigger or just as big as [the Fury] fight,” added Joshua, who has won 24 of his 25 fights and insists he is taking nothing for granted.

“There’s a great Ukrainian following in boxing and in the UK and they will be out in force. There will be 50-60,000 Brits who will come out for the fight, it’s a fight with big interest.

“Even though it’s not Fury, it’s still a great fight. Even though it’s annoying, I’m glad I can still take on an opponent who makes me want to get up in the morning because I want to improve and get better.

“There’s a lot of talk about size, a good big guy beats a good little guy. If that’s the case why I am getting up in the morning to train? Why am I sitting in ice baths? Why I am passionate about it? Because I’m fighting a good guy.

“We’re still taking on a good fight and I’m looking forward to the challenge.”

What TV channel is Anthony Joshua vs Usyk on?

TV subscribers in the UK and Republic of Ireland can buy the pay-per-view from Sky Sports Box Office. This fight will be available in more than 170 countries, including streaming services in the US such as DAZN (The Netflix of Sports)

How much will it cost?

The Sky Sports Box Office price is set at £24.95 (€29.00). After this fight, Anthony Joshua’s long-term broadcasting deal with Sky will end and he will become a free agent.

How to watch the fight in the UK/Ireland?

Sky subscribers can purchase the fight online, through their box or by calling 03442 410 888. If you’re calling from the Republic of Ireland, it’s 0818 220 225.

How to stream the fight?

You can stream the fight live using the Sky Sports Box Office App on mobile devices and online – order here.

The NOW TV Smart Stick or NOW TV box is also an option for fans wanting to order the fight.

What time does the fight start?

Anthony Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn revealed that the main event is scheduled to start before 11 pm. With the fighters ring walk to start at 10 pm.

Betting

Anthony Joshua: 4/11

Draw: 22/1

Oleksandr Usyk: 9/4

Anthony Joshua vs Oleksandr Usyk: Where to watch, Time, Betting

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