Who Should You Bet On: Anthony Joshua or Oleksandr Usyk?

Anthony Joshua has not had the best of it over the past few years. Losing to Andy Ruiz in 2019 and then again to Oleksandr Usyk in 2021, AJ is now expected to be the underdog for the first time in his career. Could this be a chance to find some serious betting value? Or is it now time to accept that AJ is simply not the boxer he once was? Let’s look at the history, upcoming match details, and try to decipher where the money should be put when Johnson and Usyk go up against each other once again in the battle of the heavyweights.

Rematch Details

First up. Usyk has had much bigger problems to deal with than details of any rematch. Being a Ukrainian national, the boxer returned to his home country to help defend against the Russian invasion. After much support from family and friends, Usyk decided to start training again in a show of positivity for his home country. As for the “where and when” of the match, the details are still being planned. Possibly end of June. Potentially in Saudi Arabia. Keep an eye out for those details as and when they come to fruition. But for now, back on topic and which way you should bet for the fight that will no doubt come about this summer.

The History: Johnson & Usyk

Johnson is the current underdog with all the available factors considered. Things could change slightly, but the fact remains that Usyk took the win the first time around. Now, we have seen Johnson come back with a bang before. In the case of Andy Ruiz, he took a shock defeat in 2019, to then come back and rule the rematch and win unanimously. Can Johnson do that again against Usyk?

The bookmakers are not convinced on history repeating itself in that sense. Usyk has always been the favourite throughout his career, apart from that first fight against Johnson. So, some are simply saying that these upcoming odds are perhaps what should have been displayed the first time around. AJ always had the image and popularity vote, but that can often favour his competitor. No pressure. No hype.

Now the tables have turned, does AJ have what it takes to fight out a win as the underdog. Again, the bookmakers are not convinced, and they are still saying Usyk for the win if you fancy a flutter on the fight. Remember, when betting online, whether on boxing fights or on casino games at reputable sites like Amazon Slots, always bet within your budget and what you can afford to lose.

Fight Summary

It’s been a strange few years for both fighters. But all that will be dropped once they enter the ring. The confidence of Usyk was there for all to see in the first fight. He took it to AJ from the first bell and kept throwing his trusty straight left to drain the energy and will of Johnson. Ruiz kept the same strategy and underestimated Johnson in the rematch. That is something we don’t expect Usyk to do. He needs to mix up his tactics and keep AJ guessing if he is to get anything out of the fight.

Johnson has the power to hit that knockout punch, so he needs to use his size and the right moments. Does Usyk have the power to knockout AJ? Not likely. It should come down to who has the smarter tactics, and it will likely go the distance. So, with that in mind, Usyk is perhaps where the money should be going right now.