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Usyk vs Joshua 2: Anthony Joshua reacts to Oleksandr Usyk’s bulkier physique heading into rematch

Joshua thinks Usyk could by trying to improve his power or his punch resistance by entering this fight at a higher weight.

Anthony Joshua fields media questions about his expectations for this weekend’s heavyweight title rematch.
Wil Esco is an assistant editor of Bad Left Hook and has been covering boxing for SB Nation since 2014.

With the days dwindling down until Anthony Joshua gets his shot at redemption by rematch Oleksandr Usyk, there’s been a fair amount of talk about Usyk looking noticeably bigger heading into this fight. Here Joshua talks to the media about fighting in Saudi Arabia, and why he thinks Usyk might be trying to come into this fight bigger than the last.

Joshua on Usyk looking bigger for this rematch

“So for me, personally, I can’t explain like why he’s done it. But my reasoning — if I was to come in heavy — a few reasons where maybe you want to punch harder, maybe you want to absorb punches better, or maybe his thought process was ‘maybe I can still be effective at a higher weight and I feel the higher weight is going to benefit me in this way, that way, and that way.’ So there are questions that he can answer but they’re the reasons why I would do it.”

On if he’s planning to bring the ‘Mexican style’ of boxing to this fight now being trained by Robert Garcia

“We’ll see ‘African style,’ for life (laughs). That’s all that matters. Remember, I’m taking African style to Mexican style, but we’re the same people anyway.”

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