4/1 Decision I meant to putWhere are you seeing 4/1? Around 9/4 is the best I can see
Do we know Joshua has been sparring with in prep (i.e. who has been tasked with doing their best Usyk impression).........?Thats the only question mark really for me, the size difference. If they were the same dims I have absolutely no doubt Usyk would win pretty easily. But the size is what makes it an interesting fight.
I think there has been some revisionism of the Chisora fight in the media though (even on the 5live pod yesterday he was claiming he won). He let Chisora blow his gasket for a few rounds then picked him off for the rest of the fight, nearly stopping him in the 7th too (Chisora admits he was on unsteady legs)
Usually he uses a lot of the amateur lads at Sheffield, I know he had a Croatian (I think) in his camp this time but I cant for the life of me remember his name.Do we know Joshua has been sparring with in prep (i.e. who has been tasked with doing their best Usyk impression).........?
Campbell Hatton...Do we know Joshua has been sparring with in prep (i.e. who has been tasked with doing their best Usyk impression).........?
I agree with all that, that's why I fancy the bet on Usyk by decision rather than a stoppage. But Del Boy himself admitted he was buzzed and on unsteady legs after the 7th because he got spun by Usyks southpaw stance and didnt see the shot coming.People go overboard saying Usyk struggled against Chisora but equally too much is made of the 7th round against Chisora. He was gassed and emptied his tank because he knew the bell was coming and got clipped in the final seconds with a few good shots. Although he was on unsteady legs, it doesn't equate to nearly being stopped. Usyk didn't have enough to put a gassed and dazed Chisora down on the canvas even once, is another way of putting it. It's not like Chisora hasn't been knocked down before. Haye was a cruiserweight moving up weights and he managed be the be the first to stop him. Fury had him quit on his stool. Whyte knocked him out too.
Usyk has never been a KO artist as such, even at Cruiserweight, he wears fighters down with his movement, punch output and accuracy and takes them out when they have nothing left. Chazz Witherspoon wasn't knocked out either, he was a late replacement who was hit with the kitchen sink and he quit on his stool because he had nothing left in the 7th round.
Yeah, robbery is a word that's lost meaning in this era of boxing. I think they do it to drum up more interest for a rematch sometimes.I agree with all that, that's why I fancy the bet on Usyk by decision rather than a stoppage. But Del Boy himself admitted he was buzzed and on unsteady legs after the 7th because he got spun by Usyks southpaw stance and didnt see the shot coming.
What I have issue with is the idea it was a close fight, people like Coldwell shouting robbery from the rooftops.
The first few rounds did it look a bit dicey for Usyk? Sure, but I bet if you asked his camp beforehand that's exactly what they were prepared for. He rode it out without ever really being in huge danger (A 260lbs bloke winging punches at you will always be dangerous)