Anthony Joshua vs Tyson Fury is ‘off the table’ after defeat to Oleksandr Usyk, talkSPORT told... - talkSPORT.com

A potential heavyweight rematch between Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury has been dismissed as ‘completely off the table’ after the events of Saturday night.

Joshua relinquished his WBA, WBO, and IBF world titles as he was handily beaten by Oleksandr Usyk at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing

Joshua had no answer to Usyk’s pressure or pace

Usyk was giving up three inches in height and four in reach, as well as nearly 20lbs in weight, but the superior ringcraft of the former undisputed world cruiserweight champion was there for all to see in his unanimous decision win.

Scorecards of 117-112, 116-112 and 115-113 were justifiable rewards for a mesmerising display by Usyk, who snatched the WBA, IBF and WBO titles from Joshua and left a ‘Battle of Britain’ against Tyson Fury seemingly in tatters.

Joshua struggled to assert himself throughout as his opponent’s speed and movement from an awkward southpaw stance troubled him but his strategy in front of more than 66,000 fans came in for criticism.

And Adam Catterall believes the manner of the defeat means Joshua could be locked out of the heavyweight title picture, with Fury and Deontay Wilder set to fight for the WBC heavyweight title on October 9.

Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing

The Brit was no match for Usyk on the night

“Unless we get something miraculous in the rematch with Oleksandr Usyk, where Anthony Joshua comes raging back in and knocks the dude out…

“Listen, he has done it before, he’s revamped before hasn’t he? He got embarrassed by Andy Ruiz Jr, went away and came back with a totally different game plan, boxed completely differently in the rematch and got the job done.

“Oleksandr Usyk and Andy Ruiz are two totally different cats though. Can he do this in second fight? Yes he can, because it is heavyweight boxing.

“I personally think that is completely off the table.”

Mikey Williams/Top Rank

Wilder and Fury will meet for a third time, live on talkSPORT on October 9

With Fury and Wilder fighting live on talkSPORT next month, it means 2022 could be potentially crucial for Joshua. Avenge his defeat to Usyk and he will surely set up a fight with the winner.

Yet defeat would be catastrophic and may consign the 2012 Olympic gold medallist to much less glamourous bouts.

However, Catterall insists there is no shame in losing his world title belts to Usyk, an Olympian himself.

“I thought that Usyk was absolutely sensational,” Catterall continued. “He didn’t allow AJ to get plan A off, whatever plan A was.

Mark Robinson/Matchroom

Uysk constantly found a home for his southpaw straight to land on Joshua

“There was no plan B coming back the other way. Uysk was absolutely sensational, you would favour him going into the second fight.

“AJ needS to completely revamp those tactics and use all those attributes he does have if he is to overturn it and get his hand raised in the second fight.”

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2021-09-26 15:54:04Z