Boxing champ’s monster payday

While the world awaits the much anticipated unification bout between Joshua and his WBA, IBF, WBO and IBO titles and Tyson Fury and his WBC and The Ring Magazine titles, the world will have to wait for the $200m fight to take place.

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As soon as Fury had announced that he was fighting Joshua on August 14 back in May, a US judge forced Fury to fight Deontay Wilder in a trilogy bout, which has already been delayed due to a Covid outbreak in Fury’s camp. The fight was postponed to October 9.

But Joshua won’t just wait for Fury, instead taking on WBO mandatory challenger in Ukrainian start Usyk.

And while it won’t quite be for the payday that a fight with Fury would offer, Joshua is expected to rake in at least 30 million pounds ($A57m) in the fight, taking a 75-25 cut of the purse, according to The Sun. This is due to the fight taking place at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, a 60,000 seater that sold out in 30 minutes and includes estimates for the gate, the VIP boxes, and one million PPV subscribers.

Usyk, the former unified cruiserweight champion and fourth man in history to hold simultaneously hold the WBA, WBC, IBF, and WBO titles, will still pocket 10 million pounds ($A19m).

Earlier in the week, Joshua weighed in eight kg heavier than Usyk, and will be looking for payback after the Ukrainian’s manager tagger his $400,000 Range Rover.

But while Joshua is the clear favourite, there are some that believe the Ukrainian can ruin the Brit, including Tyson Fury.

Speaking to BoxingScene, Fury said: “I expect it to be awkward for a few rounds.

“And I expect AJ to run out of ideas really.”

“If he doesn’t land early and get him out of there, I see it being a tough night and maybe even a stoppage loss.”

As for how to beat him, Fury said that he just need to keep working.

“Keep hitting that target and, sooner or later, the big bodybuilder will fall apart at the seams – like an old, cheap cushion, falling to bits,” Fury added.

“He runs out of ideas quite quickly. He’s a one-trick pony.”

Even Dillian Whyte, who Joshua knocked out in the seventh round of their 2015 fight, said that Joshua needs to blow Usyk out of the ring.

“Joshua is a 17st puncher, going in against a guy who can make 14st. He needs to knock him out impressively inside eight rounds — or anything else and it’s a bad night,” Whyte said.

“Usyk is a good technical boxer but he carries no power at heavyweight and Joshua should blow him out.”

When’s it on?

Anthony Joshua and Oleksandr Usyk are scheduled to fight on Sunday September 26 Australian time. The fight card kicks off early with a 3am AEST start. But Joshua and Usyk are expected to make their way to the ring at about 7.10am.

How to watch?

The fight can be live streamed in Australia exclusively via DAZN.

Fight card

— Anthony Joshua vs Oleksandr Usyk, 12 rounds, heavyweight – Joshua’s unified IBF, WBA, WBO, IBO heavyweight titles

— Lawrence Okolie vs Dilan Prasovic, 12 rounds, cruiserweight – Okolie’s WBO cruiserweight title

— Callum Smith vs Lenin Castillo, 10 rounds, light heavyweight

— Maxim Prodan vs Florian Marku, 10 rounds, welterweight – Prodan’s IBF International welterweight title

— Christopher Ousley vs Khasan Baysangurov, 10 rounds, middleweight – for WBA Intercontinental middleweight title

— Campbell Hatton vs Sonni Martinez, 6 rounds, lightweight

Tale of the Tape

Anthony Joshua

Age: 31

Height: 1.98m (6ft 6ins)

Weight: 108.86kg

Reach: 208cm

Record: 24-1-0 (22 KOs)

Last three fights

— 12/12/2020: Win Vs Kubrat Pulev via ninth round KO

— 7/12/2019: Win Vs Andy Ruiz Jr. via unanimous decision

— 1/6/2019: Loss Vs Andy Ruiz Jr. via seventh round KO

Oleksandr Usyk

Age: 34

Height: 191cm

Weight: 100.36kg

Reach: 198cm

Record: 18-0 (13 KOs)

Last three fights

— 31/10/2020: Win Vs Derek Chisora via unanimous decision

— 12/10/2019: Win Vs Chazz Witherspoon via seventh round retirement

— 10/11/2018: Win Vs Tony Bellew via eighth round KO