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Why Usyk Can Be Anthony Joshua's Toughest Test - Ex-World Champion, George Groves

Britain's Anthony Joshua could face his toughest test yet when he fights Oleksandr Usyk in London on Saturday, says ex-world champion, George Groves.


Joshua, 31, puts his WBA, WBO, IBF and IBO world heavyweight titles on the line against Usyk, a former undisputed cruiserweight world champion.


The 34-year-old Ukrainian has won all 18 professional fights, beating Tony Bellew and Derek Chisora on that run.


"Technically, Usyk is brilliant," said Groves on the 5 Live Boxing podcast.


"He showed that in unifying the cruiserweight division in great fights and I believe he could be Joshua's toughest test to date. This is the first fight when I wouldn't be surprised if Joshua got beaten.


"Joshua has fought [Wladimir] Klitschko and been in with Joseph Parker and also been beaten [by Andy Ruiz] and the only question mark for Usyk is: Is he big enough to compete with AJ?


"If Usyk keeps a high pace and makes Joshua miss with a lot of shots, that will work to Usyk's advantage as he has probably got a better engine.


"Joshua is a phenomenal athlete with tremendous punching power and strength but has a tendency to tire out if the pace is uncomfortable for him."


Saturday's fight from Tottenham Hotspur Stadium will be broadcast on BBC Radio 5 Live with full commentary from 22:00 BST.




A crowd of more than 60,000 is expected and it will be the largest attendance Joshua has fought in front of since his win over Alexander Povetkin with 80,000 at Wembley Stadium in September 2018.


Since then, Joshua has lost to Ruiz in New York before winning the rematch in Saudi Arabia and gained a ninth-round victory over Bulgaria's Kubrat Pulev at Wembley Arena last December, with only 1,000 fans attending because of coronavirus restrictions.


Both Joshua and Usyk won gold medals at the 2012 London Olympics, at super-heavyweight and heavyweight respectively, with the Briton going on to win 24 of his 25 professional fights, including 22 inside the distance.


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