Former Anthony Joshua Foe Backs Oleksandr Usyk In Upcoming Rematch

As the boxing world continues to wait for the official date for the upcoming rematch between Anthony Joshua and Oleksandr Usyk, a former heavyweight title contender is picking his side ahead of the event.

Bulgarian heavyweight Kubrat Pulev recently opened up about the pair squaring off once again and made it clear that he is not supporting his former opponent in Joshua.

“When they make a rematch, I think [Oleksandr] Usyk is going to knock him out because [Anthony] Joshua is nothing special. I lost against him, but I wasn’t [well] prepared. It’s my mistake, of course. It’s my fault, but that was the situation. Now I’m a lot of power and energy. Health is most important,” Pulev told IFL TV.

Pulev challenged Joshua who had recently conquered the man who gave him his first loss in Andy Ruiz Jr., facing off with the 2012 Olympic gold medalist in December 2020.

Joshua had put his WBA Super, IBF, WBO and WBO heavyweight titles against Pulev, finishing off the Bulgarian with two seconds remaining in the ninth round of their 12-round matchup.

While Pulev will have his hands full in a rematch with May 2016 opponent Derek Chisora on July 9, Joshua looks to regain the titles he once held around his waist.

Usyk thoroughly outclassed Joshua in their first meeting, landing anything and everything he wanted at will en route to a unanimous decision victory.

In order to help revitalize his career after suffering two losses in his past four fights, Joshua dropped his longtime coach Robert McCracken in favor of The Ring magazine’s 2011 Trainer of the Year Robert Garcia.

However, Garcia explained that Joshua may have not yet recovered fully from his first-ever career loss at the hands of Ruiz.

“A lot of fighters, they come off a loss–like probably after the Andy Ruiz Jr. fight–they come off a loss thinking that was never [going to] happen. So it affected him, it affected him mentally,” Garcia explained on his YouTube channel.

“I think that’s one of the most important things that affected Anthony and that’s what I’m here to change–me and [new head trainer] Angel [Fernandez] and other help that he’s got.”

While the fight has yet to be officially given a date, it is very likely that Joshua-Usyk II will take place sometime in August in order to give both men sufficient time to prepare and promote the rematch.