King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah is where Oleksandr Usyk (19-0) and Anthony Joshua (24-2) will renew their rivalry which started eleven months ago when the undefeated Ukrainian pugilist beat AJ by unanimous decision. By doing that, Usyk got ahold of the WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, and IBO heavyweight titles.
Fast-forward to Saturday, August 20, and the two meet again. This time, Usyk is the champion, while Joshua is in the role of the challenger. Who is going to win? Judging by the betting odds, the reigning champ is a huge favorite.
Oleksandr Usyk vs Anthony Joshua 2 Odds
All odds are per Sports Odds Direct as of August 15.
Moneyline
Oleksandr Usyk -210
Anthony Joshua +160
Where and When to Watch
Date: Saturday, August 20
Location: King Abdullah Sports City, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Watch: DAZN
Oleksandr Usyk Determined to Succeed
For Usyk, winning against AJ isn’t just about setting a career milestone. It’s also about bringing pride and joy to his fellow Ukrainians. He’s not fighting just for himself but for Ukraine, the country where he went the moment Russia invaded in February. This is the reason why even if things go wrong for Usyk on Saturday, you can be sure he’s not going to back down.
Before the war, Usyk was based in London, where he was working hard on preparing for the Joshua rematch. However, he went to Kyiv to join the Territorial Defense just a few days after Russian tanks started pouring over Ukraine’s border.
A few weeks later, when the situation in Ukraine’s capital calmed down, Usyk was given special permission to go abroad and resume training. That said, it’s clear that Usyk has had plenty of time to prepare for the fight, and judging by his training videos, he’s in top shape.
AJ to Go All-In on Saturday
Joshua is 24-2 in his professional career. His first-ever loss happened in 2019 when Andy Ruiz Jr. caused one of the biggest upsets in the history of the sport. Joshua’s second loss happened last year to Usyk. Shortly after losing that fight, AJ activated the rematch clause, which shows that he does have faith in himself.
No surprise there, as he was pretty decent in the first Usyk fight. AJ did lose, but it happened via decision. As he said to the press after the fight, he should’ve fought more aggressively against Usyk, which is exactly what he plans to do in the rematch.
Attacking the opponent might be his ticket to victory considering that he’s bigger and stronger than Usyk.
Oleksandr Usyk vs Anthony Joshua 2 Prediction
We expect Joshua to start aggressively from the very beginning, throwing some super-hard punches toward Usyk. Still, this doesn’t necessarily mean his plan is going to work as Usyk is going to fight with all he’s got. That said, we expect a real spectacle that’s probably going to last until the final bell.
