The WBA (Super) IBF, WBO, and IBO heavyweight champion, Oleksandr Usyk, was away from boxing due to the tense situation underway in his homeland, Ukraine.

The return of the Ukrainian has brought forth several questions and concerns, which puts Anthony Joshua at an advantageous position in their upcoming fight.

Usyk suddenly left for his country when he heard the news about the ongoing war. He left his training for a meaningful period of time in order to serve his nation.

According to reports in the Mirror, Usyk lost around 22 lbs during the first week of his return. 

Usyk’s wife Kateryna described the situation that Usyk went through. She said, “Sasha lost 10 kilograms in a week of the war. He was so horrified, in such shock, he was so torn apart.”

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Usyk was petrified by the ongoing violent environment of the war in Ukraine. The tense situation and his frontline duties adversely affected his health.

When Usyk faced Anthony Joshua in their first fight, he already weighed in at 19.75 lbs less than AJ, despite being at his career’s heaviest weight.

A sudden loss of weight and overall health deterioration of Usyk may give Joshua the upper edge in their upcoming match.

Anthony Joshua vs. Oleksandr Usyk II

After the first fight, Usyk snatched all the titles of Anthony Joshua and became the new heavyweight champion of the world. Since then, AJ and his fans are eagerly waiting to witness Joshua to take on Usyk to regain his titles. Unfortunately, the Ukrainian left for his country, which resulted in keeping the dates of the rematch on hold.

The wait is finally over for the rematch between the two heavyweights. Ukraine’s defense has granted Oleksandr Usyk permission to start training for his upcoming title defense match against Anthony Joshua. In the same vein, Usyk is gearing up for his upcoming battle, both mentally and physically.

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However, the confirmation on the dates and venue is still pending, but the promoters estimate it to be in somewhere around June. 

 Certainly, it will be a task for Usyk to regain his health and training regime to face Joshua in the ring.

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To what extent does the decline in Usyk’s health benefit Anthony Joshua? Let us know your views in the comments section.