Anthony Joshua makes prediction for who will ‘edge’ Fury vs Usyk rematch

‘AJ’ has lost to Usyk on points twice, and he has long been linked to a fight with Fury

Anthony Joshua has made his prediction for Saturday’s rematch between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk, declaring that the winner will “edge” the bout.

Fury will challenge Usyk for the unified heavyweight titles on Saturday, seven months after losing their undisputed showdown on points.

Ahead of their second clash in Riyadh, many voices in boxing have made their predictions – and shown how divided those in the sport are – with “AJ” among them.

The Briton, 35, lost to Usyk on points in 2021 and 2022, and he has long been linked to a fight with compatriot Fury, 36.

“I think it’s going to be a tough fight early on, and then I feel like Usyk will edge it again,” Joshua said, via the Mirror.

“He’s a class operator, and I feel like Usyk’s one of the best out there. That’s why I think he’ll win.”

Usyk, 37, beat Fury via split decision in May, remaining unbeaten and handing the Briton his first professional loss.

With that result, Usyk became a two-weight undisputed champion, having previously reigned atop the cruiserweight division.

Anthony Joshua (right) speaks to Oleksandr Usyk after losing to him for the second time (PA Archive)

The Ukrainian took the unified heavyweight belts from Joshua in their first fight, retained them in their rematch, then claimed the WBC title from Fury in May.

Since then, however, Usyk has vacated the IBF gold, meaning the WBC, WBO and WBO titles are up for grabs on Saturday.