Former world champion Amir Khan is impressed by Oleksandr Usyk’s transformation. He watched him training in Dubai for the upcoming rematch with Anthony Joshua.
Usyk will defend the IBF, IBO, WBA, WBO heavyweight titles against AJ on August 20th in Saudi Arabia.
Last September, Usyk outboxed Joshua over twelve rounds to capture the unified crown.
“Yeah that’s what he told me. He looked in great shape, he’s a lot bigger, a lot thicker,” Khan said to Talk Sport.
“You know how some people put on weight and they look a bit soft, but he was solid. He looked strong and put the weight on well. He says he’s put on 15 kilos [33-pounds] since the last fight. Is that going to slow him down? I don’t think so. I’ve seen him shadow boxing, I’ve seen him on the pads, he looked really quick and has great footwork.”
“He’s a technician, his boxing IQ is the best out there I think… and how accurate he is is what wins him fights. What AJ has to do is just jump on him early. AJ’s got that puncher’s chance as well. When it comes to boxing him; AJ’s a good boxer, he’s an Olympic champion, but Usyk is a superior boxer. You can’t really beat him when it comes down to tactics, technique or boxing skills… AJ will be making a mistake if he tries to box him again.”
Usyk unified the entire cruiserweight division back in 2018. He made the jump to the heavyweight division the following year. The big title win over Joshua was only Usyk’s third bout in the weight class.
