ANTHONY JOSHUA will ‘walk straight through’ Oleksandr Usyk when they clash later this year, John Fury reckons.
The Watford heavyweight will defend his unified heavyweight titles against the former cruiserweight champion at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on September 25.
The undefeated, 34, Usyk has been tipped to provide Joshua with the sternest test of his career.
But John Fury, father of The Gypsy King Tyson, reckons AJ will steamroll the slick southpaw.
He told Boxing Social: “Usyk is good. He’s a world-class cruiserweight, [he’s] proved it.
“But AJ is a big dude and he’s got a good array of boxing skills and he’s a big strong man.
“And I just think he’s all around too good for Usyk.
“Usyk won’t be able to hit hard enough to bother him because he’s too small. He’ll walk straight through.
“I think AJ will stop him quicker than anybody else. I think AJ will walk straight through him. I do.”
Usyk has put on a considerable amount of mass since making his heavyweight debut in October 2019.
But Fury insists the Ukrainian’s newfound size will do little to help him dethrone Joshua.
He continued: “One’s a cruiserweight, one’s bulking up. And if he bulks up to try and meet him head-on, forget about it.
“That’s why there’s weight classes, ain’t they. A good biggun will always beat a good littlun. And AJ is a good biggun.”
Fury’s prediction for Joshua vs Uysk isn’t shared by his brother Peter, who told Sky Sports: “He’s [Usyk] very dangerous.
“It’s not a walk in the park. Forget cruiserweight. This guy, he’s had a couple of fights in the heavyweight division, he’s adjusted, he’s put the necessary weight on.
“He’s a serious heavyweight and a serious talent, so it will be a good fight.”
He added: “Yes, of course, he has [enough power to gain Joshua’s respect].
“He’s an accurate puncher and anybody in the fight trade knows when you’re in that bodyweight bracket, when you’re punching correctly, any punchers can do damage.
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“Yes, he belongs in the division and he’s a serious threat. It’s a serious fight.
“Full credit to Joshua for taking that fight. I think it will ultimately be a battle of skills, because you can’t run into danger.
“It’s a fight that I’m looking forward to see. It’s a great fight, a good match-up.”
