See Live Update Of Anthony Joshua vs Oleksandr Usyk Match
A straight right and left hook from Joshua connects, but Usyk instantly responds with some rapid shots to the Joshua body.
Joshua then goes for a swinging left hook but can only make a glancing contact.
Joshua lands with a couple and a huge roar comes from his fans. But again he’s only having limited success and can’t build on it with Usyk too quick, too skilful and too elusive. Six gone and it’s very hard to call this one. “Jab, jab, right to the body,” is what Joshua is told to do.
Into the fifth. A sweeping right hook from Joshua catches the Usyk gloves but still forces the champion to wobble a bit backwards. But Joshua can’t build on that and ever so quickly Usyk is back in action.
Usyk then complains that Joshua has caught him with a low shot.
A good body shot from Joshua and again Usyk is forced back, momentarily bouncing off the ropes. Better from Joshua.
That was some of Joshua’s best work and is the power to the body shots going to be the way to go? Five gone, and it’s anyone’s fight.
Usyk dances forward and is starting to be more aggressive, but that draws a response from Joshua who also looks to step up the pace himself.
It’s closer than the first meeting was and it all depends on what you like as to how you’d be scoring this one. Just a few signs that it’s beginning to heat up nicely.
Better from Joshua with a left instantly followed by a right, although the Usyk defence was strong and soaked up some of the power from those two shots.
A right uppercut from Joshua, a shot which we’ve seen him have so much success with in the past, but this time Usyk is too quick and dances out the way of it. Good signs of aggression though from Joshua, although he has to be careful to not leave himself open for counters.
Robert Garcia tells Joshua “we’re three [rounds to] zero”, which seems extremely generous. “You’re winning every round champ,” Joshua is then told. Not too sure Joshua has won all three myself, but every round is a close one.
Joshua tries to mix it up with a crushing right hand to the Usyk body, but the champion shows no signs of being hurt by that one.
Another straight right from Joshua gets some cheers from the British fans, but, just like the first, it’s a tight round to call.
Round 1
Usyk, in the Ukraine colours, tries to spring out the jab to find the range. Joshua lands with a straight left early on. both men springing around on an early fact-finding mission.
A good right hook from Joshua lands, but Usyk takes it nicely. Usyk fires in a left, which catches the head of Joshua and there’s the first round in the books. Tentative from both men, but a close opener.
“We need more presence in the centre of the ring,” Joshua is told by his corner.
