Anthony Joshua vs Oleksandr Usyk Odds and Pick
- Anthony Joshua vs Oleksandr Usyk goes Saturday, September 25th, 2021 at 5 PM EST
- Who emerges from this weekend with multiple heavyweight world championships?
- Check out the fight odds, analysis, and predictions, below
Anthony Joshua vs Oleksandr Usyk takes over London, England, and transpires inside Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The boxing bout broadcasts on DAZN, and the world will be watching on Saturday, September 25th, 2021. Joshua is a heavy favorite at -265 to defend his belt.
The WBA, IBF, IBO, and WBO heavyweight world titles are on the line, with Joshua and Usyk situated as the champion and challenger, respectively.
Anthony Joshua vs Oleksandr Usyk Odds
| Fighter | Odds at DraftKings |
|---|---|
| Anthony Joshua | -265 |
| Oleksandr Usyk | +210 |
All odds as of September 22nd
As much as there are myriad belts hanging in the balance here, there is another great prize to possibly be garnered here.
Punching a ticket towards potentially fighting the winner of Fury vs Wilder III to crown an undisputed heavyweight champion in 2022. A feat that has not been done in nearly two decades since the days of Lennox Lewis.
Anthony Joshua’s Road to Usyk
Joshua looks to notch the sophomore defense of his belt amalgamation after regaining them from Andy Ruiz to close out 2019.
This is AJ’s first fight of the calendar year. After a myriad of presumably frustrating failed contract negotiations for a pair of Tyson Fury bouts, he seems excited to finally just get out there and compete.
Many pundits and fans of the sweet science pontificate on whether we’ll see the AJ that played the role of a puncher. The man who thoroughly devastated Pulev last time out.
Or if AJ will assume the role of a boxer like he did in the Ruiz rematch. Where he shows off his fight IQ and the tremendous level of nuance in his game over the full bout duration.
Joshua vs Usyk Recent Fights
| Kubrat Pulev, win via TKO | Fight 1 | Derek Chisora, win via UD |
| Andy Ruiz, win via UD | Fight 2 | Chazz Witherspoon, win via RTD |
| Andy Ruiz, lose via TKO | Fight 3 | Tony Bellew, win via TKO |
| Alexander Povetkin, win via TKO | Fight 4 | Murat Gassiev, win via UD |
Joshua and Usyk were 2012 Olympic gold medalists at super heavyweight and heavyweight, respectively.
Now their paths finally intersect as professional pugilists at the highest possible level.
Oleksandr Usyk’s Path to Make History
Usyk is the former undisputed cruiserweight champion. He aims to become the third man (Evander Holyfield and David Haye) to unify the cruiserweight class and capture a heavyweight championship as well.
If they set this fight up where AJ clashes with the Oleksandr Uysk that bested Tony Bellew, I would favor Usyk.
The Ukrainian pugilist has had a somewhat inauspicious transition to heavyweight though and it feels like a certain degree of momentum has been taken away.
Joshua has a four-inch reach advantage and has that discernible edge in heavyweight KO power.
For Usyk, he will have the speed advantage, and many pundits think he will have the ability to put pressure on Joshua that will deplete the gas tank in the mid to later rounds.
Anthony Joshua vs Oleksandr Usyk Tale of the Tape
| 24-1 | Record | 18-0 |
| 22 | Knockouts | 13 |
| 6’6 | Height | 6’3 |
| 82″ | Reach | 78″ |
| Orthodox | Stance | Southpaw |
In the end, I think this has the makings for one of the more intriguing fights pound for pound this year.
Usyk will certainly have good moments in this one, but I see Joshua getting it done in the end.
Pick: Anthony Joshua (-265)
A part-time writer and full-time broadcaster, Dylan has hosted MMA talk shows Lights Out and Pure Fight Radio with featured guests like Jens Pulver, Roy Nelson, Miesha Tate, and covered some of the biggest MMA promotions like Rumble in the Cage, Unified MMA, and King of the Cage.
