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LONDON, ENGLAND – MAY 30: Anthony Joshua of England poses with Promoter Eddie Hearn following his WBC International Heavyweight bout against Kevin Johnson of The USA at The O2 Arena on May 30, 2015 in London, England. (Photo by Ben Hoskins/Getty Images)
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LONDON, ENGLAND – MAY 30: Anthony Joshua of England poses with Promoter Eddie Hearn following his WBC International Heavyweight bout against Kevin Johnson of The USA at The O2 Arena on May 30, 2015 in London, England. (Photo by Ben Hoskins/Getty Images)
Months of chaos in the heavyweight division ended last week. Finally, the rematch between former unified champ Anthony Joshua and reigning champion, Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk, received a green light in a purse bid. Probably, the fight will take place in April but the date and venue has not been confirmed as yet. Moreover, it ended the boxing speculations of the Usyk vs Fury fight.
Prior to the much-awaited showdown, renowned boxing promoter Eddie Hearn gave inside looks on the high-profile rematch.
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LONDON, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 06: Anthony Joshua speaks with Eddie Hearn during the press conference for Andy Ruiz Jr. v Anthony Joshua 2 ‘Clash on the Dunes’ at the Hilton Syon Park on September 06, 2019 in London, England. Anthony Joshua and Andy Ruiz Jr will have a Heavyweight World Title rematch fight on December 7th 2019 in the historical town of Diriyah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)
Eddie Hearn brought his interaction with AJ on the surface subsequent to his loss against Usyk in the first match. Notably, Eddie said, “That’s the fight AJ wanted. When I sat down with him about step-aside, he just said I’ll beat Usyk.”
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Eddie Hearn on Oleksandr Usyk vs Anthony Joshua II: "That's the fight AJ wanted. When I sat down with him about step-aside, he just said, 'I'll beat Usyk.' I said, 'You haven't started working with your new trainer yet.' He said, 'I'll beat him without a trainer.'" [@MMAFighting]
— Michael Benson (@MichaelBensonn) February 2, 2022
AJ’s promoter, Hearn further added, “I said, ‘You haven’t started working with your new trainer yet.’ He said, ‘I’ll beat him without a trainer.'”
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However, this is not the first time when Joshua is ready to take a shot in a rematch after a loss. Earlier, he had outboxed Andy Ruiz Jr. in the rematch rumble after getting thrashed in the first battle.
Anthony Joshua vs Oleksandr Usyk: Previous fight
The first epic bout was scheduled for September 25th, 2021, at Tottenham Hotspur stadium in London. Oleksandr Usyk stepped inside the ring as a heavy underdog, challenging the unified title against champion Anthony Joshua.
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In the initial rounds, both fighters exchanged straight leather. However, Usyk’s jab kept Joshua at a distance. As rounds went deeper, ‘The Cat’ as a heavyweight showcased great footwork and smooth head movement like a middleweight pugilist. Moreover, Joshua made a good comeback in the 9th round with a heavy body shot that pushed Usyk on the ropes.
Watch this Story- Andy Ruiz Jr. vs Anthony Joshua Rematch shots
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However, until the 11th round, Joshua was drained. This cost him the bout as Usyk finished the last round with sheer dominance and crowned himself with the unified heavyweight title. Notably, according to the contract, AJ got a second chance to claim back his throne.
Who do you think will win the rematch? Let us know in the comments below.
