The recently released stats from Anthony Joshua vs Oleksandr Usyk highlight just how well the Ukrainian did against AJ on Saturday night.
When the final bell had rung at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium it was clear for all to see that Usyk had done enough to secure the unanimous decision win over Joshua. He started the fight well and almost ended it even better, and while Joshua did some good work in the second chapter of the fight, it wasn’t quite enough to overcome the insane volume, speed and power that Usyk was producing.
That comes into sharp focus when examining the following statistics that were released in the aftermath of the heavyweight showdown.
Usyk is seen to have landed 148 of his punches in comparison to 123 from Joshua, with Oleksandr’s number serving as the most strikes landed by one of Joshua’s opponents throughout his professional career. While some may argue it wasn’t as bad as the Andy Ruiz defeat because he didn’t get finished, this was the kind of clinic that has left many wondering whether or not a rematch is even necessary.
Can Joshua bounce back?
Usyk also connected on 29 punches in round 12 with the final few seconds seeing him back Joshua up against the ropes in front of his hometown fans in London. That kind of precision and ability to come on strong in the later rounds was expected to be a problem for Joshua coming into the bout but few could’ve anticipated that the challenger would be so decisive.
It’s inevitable that the rematch clause will be utilised but for now, the focus shifts to October 9 as Tyson Fury prepares to meet Deontay Wilder for the third time in Las Vegas.
Featured image credit: Getty
