Oleksander Usyk stole the ring and fooled us all – including his opponent, heavyweight champion Anthony Johnson. Usyk was a surprise contender and one that few thought would be able to handle his own in the heavyweight ring since he is known as a lighter fighter than his competition. But that was perhaps what allowed Usyk to stun the crowd and Joshua into a false sense of security, before he used his fast-paced footwork and lightning fast jabs to prove he belonged in the same ring as a heavyweight champ.

Usyk climbed his way into the heavyweight division in 2019 but doubts followed him into the heavier weight class. Though there were supporters of the boxer that belived his skill would carry him, there were many who were cautious of the chances when it came to facing down a fighter like Anthony Joshua. Joshua is a good few years younger than Usyk and has a reputation as a steel-fisted heavyweight while Usyk is a relative unkown when it comes to the heavyweight tier of the sport.

However, when it came down to it the 34-year old Usyk stood in front of Joshua, the fan-filled stadium and an untold number of at home viewers and managed to impress upon all those specating just how capable he is. Through incredible speed, co-ordination and, careful target selection and technical ability just how dangerous he is. He consistently had Joshua and the fans wondering just what his next move would be.

Nevertheless, Joshua lived up to his title as champ and certainly didn’t make the match easy for Usyk, frequently doling out powerful punches from his right side. All this meant that Usyk had his work cut out for him, but he still managed to lead the fight for most of the early fight. Joshua managed to scramble back into contention in the latter half of the fight and against a lesser opponent would surely have been able to take home the win, but Usyk didn’t let up even against the rising tide and proved he deserved the win.