Joshua, 26, was fighting for the third time since being beaten by Usyk 18 months ago on the Red Sea. That bout, which ended in a split-decision victory for the Ukrainian, was a rematch of their first fight a year earlier, which Joshua lost via unanimous decision.
Despite negotiations previously taking place several times for a ‘Battle of Britain’ fight between Fury and Joshua over recent years, the two have yet to come close to agreeing a fight. However, they have infamously been in the ring together before at Finchley ABC way back in 2010, while Joshua was still an amateur.
Fury and Joshua have offered contrasting versions of events about what happened during their sparring session. But regardless, after being in the ring with both during his boxing career, Joshua knows better than most what the sport’s top two heavyweights bring to a fight.
Follow us on X for the best and latest in sports news
Asked about the upcoming undisputed championship bout, Joshua could not hide how keen he is to be in Saudi to see them matchup from ringside. “I really want to be there for that fight,” he told Boxing Social.
“I’ve fought Usyk. I think he’s a phenomenal fighter, and I think he has a great team around him, and you’re only as good as your team.
“After being in the ring with him and studying him – still studying him now – I think that he’s the one to edge it.” Explaining further, Joshua added: “Probably because I’ve experienced his ring generalship and ring craft on two occasions, and I think he’s top-tier.”
Fury, for one, is not predicting it will be such a close contest. “Usyk, get ready,” Fury said in a video message shown to Usyk last year. “I’ll smash you into pieces, sucker, four rounds.”
Despite the provocation, Usyk has not got into predicting how the fight will go. Instead, in response to the clip, he responded at the WBC convention: “I love my opponent Tyson Fury. He’s a great guy, I love Tyson.”
Usyk then added: “Hey Tyson, where are you?” Both will be together again before long, with training camps underway before the blockbuster bout.
Whoever triumphs will become the first undisputed heavyweight champion since Lennox Lewis in 1999. And Lewis is picking Fury to succeed him by taking on that title.
“Usyk cannot be taken lightly,” Lewis told JOE last year. “I think it’ll be a great fight, because he’s up against a different man. He’s not up against a 6 foot 7 guy; he’s up against a 6 foot 9 guy that boxes orthodox and southpaw and moves very well about the ring.”
“I always say a good small guy always beats a good big guy, so there you have it.”