ANTHONY JOSHUA and Oleksandr Usyk faced off TODAY in an intriguing weigh in ahead of their huge rematch.
Joshua weighed in 17st 6st..and Usyk was pretty much the same as last time on 15st 11lbs.
There had been talk Usyk was going to bulk up but he's around the same as last time while AJ is 4lbs more.
Stick with us here on SunSport as we bring you the latest updates from the weigh in and preview the huge main event this weekend.
- Start time: from 1pm BST
- Watch live stream: Sky Sports Boxing YouTube
- AJ vs Usyk: FULL fight guide and timings
Get Anthony Joshua to beat Oleksandr Usyk at HUGE 70/1 with BetVictor special offer
- James Orr
AJ speaks
Joshua spoke after the final face off before tomorrow night's huge, huge fight.
The challenger said: "It was just a face-off and I always say they mean nothing, they don’t win fights.
“All of this stuff doesn’t matter, weight, face-offs, fight, nothing else matters to me but the fight.
“I am 100 per cent ready to 12 rounds anything less than that is a bonus."
Credit: Reuters - James Orr
Weight is over
Joshua has packed on 4lbs in his effort to bully and KO Oleksandr Usyk tonight.
The 32-year-old Watford ace was 240lbs – 17st 2lbs – for his September loss to the 35-year-old Ukraine king in September.
And he stripped his top off – but left on his trousers and pants – to make 244lbs on Friday afternoon in Jeddah, before staring down his 13lbs lighter foe.
- James Orr
Usyk's weight
So Oleksandr Usyk didn't put on the pounds after all…
Great bit of gamesmanship there from the champ.
He's pretty much the same weight as the first fight.
Credit: Getty
- James Orr
Usyk weighs in
100.5kgs for Oleksandr Usyk!
That's 15st 11lbs for Usyk. Only very slightly more than his 15st 8lbs from last time.
Going for speed…
- James Orr
Joshua weighs in
110.9kgs for Anthony Joshua!
That's 17st 6lbs for AJ. Only 4lbs more than last time.
- James Orr
Usyk makes his walk
And flanked by his world titles Oleksandr Usyk is walking out now.
Here we go!
- James Orr
Here comes AJ
Anthony Joshua is walking out first as the challenger!
AJ showing a poker face.
Usyk out next.
- James Orr
Heavyweight prelude
And before the main event tomorrow night there's a heavyweight IBF title eliminator between Croatian star Filip Hrgovic and China's Zhilei Zhang.
And this means it is Joshua vs Usyk up NEXT!
- James Orr
Callum Smith in title eliminator
Brit former world champ Callum Smith (left) is in a final IBF light-heavyweight eliminator tomorrow night against Mathieu Bauderlique.
- James Orr
Lapin it up
Oleksandr Usyk isn't the only Ukrainian star on the bill tomorrow night.
Unbeaten heavyweight Daniel Lapin continues his fledgling career against Jozef Jurko.
- James Orr
Money Kicking off
YouTuber Money Kicks aka Rashed Belhassa opens up the show tomorrow night against Traycho Georgiev.
- James Orr
Ben Whittaker tips the scales
Britain's Olympic silver medalist Ben Whittaker is here!
Whittaker has his second pro fight on the bill, and is represented by Joshua's management company too, with AJ specifically making sure he was on the show.
- James Orr
Full fight timings for tomorrow night
Those all-important fight times for tomorrow night.
Roll on 10.54pm…
- Anthony Joshua vs Oleksandr Usyk 2 (10.54pm) – World heavyweight championship WBA 'super', IBF, IBO and WBO – 12 rounds
- Filip Hrgovic vs Zhilei Zhang (9.52pm) – IBF heavyweight final eliminator – 12 rounds
- Callum Smith vs Mathieu Bauderlique (8.50pm) – WBC light-heavyweight final eliminator – 12 rounds
- Badou Jack vs Richard Rivera (7.18pm) – cruiserweight – 10 rounds
- Ziyad Almaayouf vs Jose Alatorre (6.48pm) – super-lightweight – 4 rounds
- Ramla Ali vs Crystal Garcia Nova (6.10pm) – super-bantamweight – 8 rounds
- Andrew Tabiti vs James Wilson (5.24pm) – heavyweight – 8 rounds
- Ben Whittaker vs Peter Nosic (4.46pm) – light-heavyweight – 6 rounds
- Daniel Lapin vs Josef Jurko (4.03pm) – heavyweight – 8 rounds
- Bader Alsamreen vs Faud Tarverdi (3.30pm) – super lightweight – 6 rounds
- Rashed Belhassa aka Money Kicks vs Traycho Georgiev (3pm) – welterweight – 4 rounds
Eddie Hearn in the house
The Matchroom promoter is here. And away we go with the undercard bouts.
Weigh ins starting from now.
Not long to go!
Just over 30 mins and the fighters will be tipping the scales.
Wil Usyk really be coming in a STONE heavier?
Not long to go until we find out…
- James Orr
Holyfield previews the big one
Boxing legend Evander Holyfield has spelled out what Antony Joshua needs to do to defeat Oleksandr Usyk.
Holyfield told Sky Sports: "He [Joshua] has to fight like a big guy.
"He can't sit there and play tag with this guy. He's got to hit him with big shots.
"It's like having a little brother, when you try to grab him if you don't keep up he moves too much, you have got to grab him and put all that weight on him."
Credit: PA - James Orr
Last time out
Usyk tipped the scales at 15st 8lbs for their first fight one year ago.
But this time he could be nearly a whole stone heavier with the Ukrainian ace looking to have bulked up considerably.
AJ was 17st 2lbs last time, and has been looking even trimmer in recent pictures.
- James Orr
Deontay WIlder predicts
Wilder, who makes his big return to the ring on October 15, has made his prediction for tomorrow night.
Wilder, 36, told FightHype: "I'm going with Usyk in this fight. I've said that after that fight and I'm sticking with my word on this one.
"Usyk just looks more confident than ever now and when you look at Joshua he just looks like a different man."
- James Orr
Joshua's new trainer on Usyk
Anthony Joshua's new trainer is the first to admit his man’s preparation has been far from perfect.
No-nonsense Robert Garcia replaced Team GB mastermind Robert McCracken for AJ’s must-win world heavyweight title rematch against Oleksandr Usyk tomorrow night.
Garcia said: “The whole boxing world knows he can’t outbox Usyk. So we have to put smart pressure on him.
“Usyk is a very talented fighter, his combinations, he has a great jab, a great straight-right hand, right hands to the body, stuff like that.
“Instead of training to box, we have to train for a fight going forward. But we are also not going in to become a brawler, we have to do it smart.”
Credit: PA - James Orr
Can I listen to Usyk vs AJ 2 on radio?
talkSPORT have the exclusive rights for the big fight and you can listen to it all for FREE.
The station's Fight Night team will be made up of be presenters Adam Catterall and Gareth A Davies, commentator Andy Clarke, sports broadcaster Ade Oladipo and former bantamweight boxer Spencer Oliver.
- James Orr
How to watch Usyk vs Joshua 2?
Anthony Joshua vs Oleksandr Usyk 2 will be broadcast live on Sky Sports Box Office in the UK, and DAZN in the rest of the world.
The event starts at 6pm on Sky Sports Box Office (Sky channel 491/ HD 492), and costs £26.95 to purchase.
To watch it online, book through the Sky Sports Box Office app and website.
If you don't have a Box Office account, you'll still be able to sign up and buy the fight.
DAZN will be showing the fight in 190+ countries outside of the UK
- James Orr
Usyk vs Joshua fight purse
Joshua and Usyk completed the biggest ever site deal, with Saudi Arabia agreeing to pay £65m to stage the fight.
This time around, with Usyk going in as the champ there is a straight 50/50 split – so it is at least £32.5m each BEFORE PPV buys.
- James Orr
Joshua on Fury fight
Anthony Joshua has joked he will lure heavyweight rival Tyson Fury back into boxing should he beat Oleksandr Usyk in their rematch.
The Gypsy King called time on his glistening career in April after brutally knocking out Dillian Whyte at Wembley to retain his WBC title.
Speaking on a media call ahead of his rematch to face Usyk, Joshua was asked whether he can bring Fury out of retirement should he beat the unbeaten Ukrainian.`
To which a laughing AJ said: "Yeah I can bring him out of retirement, 100 per cent.
"I think he'll bring himself out of retirement, you hear what I'm saying? I think he'll bring himself out of retirement, s***…"
- James Orr
Joshua taking pay cut
AJ is banking a basic £33.2million for tomorrow’s Saudi-funded showdown with Oleksandr Usyk — a pay cut of £13m!
The Watford man trousered £46m when he regained his world heavyweight titles from Andy Ruiz Jr in Riyadh three years ago.
But now AJ, beaten by Usyk 11 months ago, has been forced to take a lesser amount as he tries to get the WBA, IBF and WBO belts back from the Ukrainian warrior.
Usyk will bag the same £33.2m pay packet as the challenger when the pair clash in Jeddah.
And the victor is in line for a bonus based on the pay-per-view buys on Sky Sports in the UK and on DAZN around the world.
- James Orr
Full fight night timings for tomorrow
Get the popcorn ready, here's all the fight times for you to plan ahead for tomorrow night.
- Anthony Joshua vs Oleksandr Usyk 2 (10.54pm) – World heavyweight championship WBA 'super', IBF, IBO and WBO – 12 rounds
- Filip Hrgovic vs Zhilei Zhang (9.52pm) – IBF heavyweight final eliminator – 12 rounds
- Callum Smith vs Mathieu Bauderlique (8.50pm) – WBC light-heavyweight final eliminator – 12 rounds
- Badou Jack vs Richard Rivera (7.18pm) – cruiserweight – 10 rounds
- Ziyad Almaayouf vs Jose Alatorre (6.48pm) – super-lightweight – 4 rounds
- Ramla Ali vs Crystal Garcia Nova (6.10pm) – super-bantamweight – 8 rounds
- Andrew Tabiti vs James Wilson (5.24pm) – heavyweight – 8 rounds
- Ben Whittaker vs Peter Nosic (4.46pm) – light-heavyweight – 6 rounds
- Daniel Lapin vs Josef Jurko (4.03pm) – heavyweight – 8 rounds
- Bader Alsamreen vs Faud Tarverdi (3.30pm) – super lightweight – 6 rounds
- Rashed Belhassa aka Money Kicks vs Traycho Georgiev (3pm) – welterweight – 4 rounds
Source: Read Full Article
