What will Anthony Joshua weigh in Oleksandr Usyk rematch? AJ reveals weight is “most comfortable” of career
EXCLUSIVE – Anthony Joshua plans to tip the scales at 242 pounds for his attempt to get revenge on Oleksandr Usyk.
Jeddah, Saudi Arabia will host Saturday night’s unified heavyweight title rematch, with the Middle East nation previously the scene of Joshua’s other redemption story against Andy Ruiz Jr. in 2019.
However, unlike the Ruiz fight, Joshua is coming to terms with being tactically solidly beaten by a superior boxer rather than being caught well in a one-off upset against a late replacement. Usyk put on a brilliant display at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last September, with Joshua failing to impose his physical advantages on the former undisputed cruiserweight king.
Instead, Joshua tried to outsmart the tactically astute Ukrainian and has since changed coaches. He is now under the tutelage of Robert Garcia – a three-time Ring Magazine Trainer of the Year. Joshua previously told The Sporting News that he had been working with Garcia just a month after losing to Usyk.
🗣 “We reached out to him… we’ve been working with him for nine months.” @anthonyjoshua lifts the lid on starting a new trainer in Robert Garcia #UsykJoshua2 👇 pic.twitter.com/asQfATlnSB
— Sports News Boxing (@sn_fights) August 15, 2022
The question of whether Joshua was converted by the duo of Garcia and Angel Fernandez makes this rematch intriguing and adds to the intrigue already created by the possible retirement of WBC champion Tyson Fury. The possible setbacks – both financial and psychological – could be career-defining for Joshua.
When asked if this was the greatest match of his career, Joshua said, “100%.
“People forget that this is my 12th world title fight. It was hard. It just became normal. But that kind of pressure makes it real again and pushes me to perform and get better.”
He continued on the first fight: “It did [feel like just another fight] in a way, yes.
“Look at me, I was there stopping in the crowd and saying hello to local friends. It was like another day at the office for me.”
What will Joshua vs. Usyk weigh?
Joshua told The Sporting News: “I’ll probably come in at 110kg (242lbs).
“The fight for Dominic Breazeale [is when I felt most comfortable with my weight]. But that was only a seven-skilled. But I think I’ll be most comfortable in this one.”
MORE: Who is Robert Garcia? Titles, tactics and more for Anthony Joshua’s new manager
What’s Joshua’s weight history in title fights?
The 32-year-old’s goal for the scales would see no dramatic difference from the first fight, at 2 pounds heavier. Given Usyk has gained weight, there will certainly be a smaller gap between the two men than the 19lbs seen last year.
It would give Joshua the same weight as he did when he faced Joseph Parker in 2018 in a unification showdown that ended up being his first to go the distance.
The British superstar’s slimmest physique came in his aforementioned only rematch against Ruiz. Returning to the drawing board after the Madison Square Garden disaster, Joshua lost 11 pounds.
His hardest came against another late substitution in Carlos Takam. Despite retaining his titles, Joshua looked uncomfortable at a massive 254 pounds.
| Battle | Joshua’s weight | opponent’s weight | result |
| Charles Martin (2016) | 244 pounds | 245 pounds | TKO win (Round 2) |
| Dominic Breazeale (2016) | 243 pounds | 255 pounds | TKO win (Round 7) |
| Eric Molina (2016) | 249 pounds | 237 pounds | TKO win (Round 3) |
| Vladimir Klitschko (2017) | 250 pounds | 240 pounds | TKO win (Round 11) |
| Carlos Takam (2017) | 254 pounds | 235 pounds | TKO win (Round 10) |
| Joseph Parker (2018) | 242 pounds | 237 pounds | UD win |
| Alexander Povetkin (2018) | 245 pounds | 222 pounds | TKO win (Round 7) |
| Andy Ruiz Jr (2019) | 248 pounds | 268 pounds | TKO loss |
| Andy Ruiz Jr (2019) | 237 pounds | 284 pounds | UD win |
| Kubrat Pulev (2020) | 241 pounds | 240 pounds | KO win (Round 9) |
| Oleksandr Usyk (2021) | 240 pounds | 221 pounds | UD loss |