Much of the pre-fight talk has been about Joshua imposing himself on his smaller opponent and simply proving too big for the former cruiserweight king. After all, the champion has weighed as high as 254lb in the past, whereas the most the challenger has tipped the scales at was 217lb and that was last time out against Derek Chisora.
Usyk is by no means small at 6’3” and would have been considered big for the weight in the 1960s and 70s, but in the modern era of giants in the heavyweight division, he is considered small and gives away three inches in height on Saturday evening.
However, he has the antidote for the big men with his tremendous footwork and quick hands, and the difference in speed could be exacerbated if a bulked-up version of Joshua enters the ring. The rumours are that we will see a trimmed down AJ, possibly his lightest ever, and one built for speed and stamina, rather than brute force.
Tactically, that would signal a very different approach from a bigger version of Joshua – one looking to throw his weight around in brutal fashion from the get-go. There are no secrets about what Usyk's approach will be, but Joshua's tactics are yet to be revealed and a lot more light will be shed on that subject when they step onto the scales on Friday afternoon. The numbers read out by MC Michael Buffer will tell us what sort of fight we can expect from the local favourite.
Sky Sports will offer a live blog via their website
There is radio coverage via BBC Radio 5 Live
Not only does Usyk present a set of skills Joshua won't have seen too much of before, he also brings a left-handed stance to the table and that is something the champion is very unfamiliar with as a professional. British boxing's golden boy did win his first world title against a 'lefty', when he effortlessly brushed aside Charles Martin inside a couple of rounds in 2016, but the latter was a completely different style to Usyk and not on the same level when it comes to technical ability.
Aside from Martin, Joshua has been used to squaring off against orthodox foes and that lack of variety in opposition could show when he's up against a southpaw as technically gifted as Usyk this weekend. Finding top-quality sparring in preparation for a southpaw can be tricky at the best of times but doing so during the pandemic, with all the travel restrictions in place, is even tougher and locating big men who can replicate what Usyk can do is virtually impossible.
The battle between orthodox and southpaw is as old as the sport itself and it so often comes down to who can establish their jab, something Joshua has become more reliant on in recent outings. If unable to find a home for his lead left hand then Joshua could soon become frustrated, along with the those willing him on in the stands.
Controversial decisions are nothing new and there will always be debate amongst boxing fans about the outcome of bouts that go to the scorecards, but the spotlight has certainly shone brighter on the judging in Britain over the last couple of years. The perception that our fighters are treated more favourably has increased, and for good reason in some cases, so there has to be a worry that Usyk won't get a fair deal against Joshua if it does go the distance.
The latter is the cash cow for Matchroom, who promote the show, and will have the huge crowd cheering every time he lets his hands go, whether he lands or not, so the judges could well be influenced. In the biggest fight of the year and the eyes of the boxing world on London, the last thing we want is for all the post-fight talk to be about the judging, but don't hold your breath on that one.
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