Oleksandr Usyk has delivered a pointed message to Tyson Fury while making his prediction for the Anthony Joshua fight crystal clear.
Speaking with Ring Magazine, Usyk was asked whether Fury could beat Joshua in a potential matchup between the two heavyweight names. His answer was brief and direct.
“AJ will win. AJ will beat you.”
The comment carries added weight given that Usyk defeated Joshua twice in their heavyweight title fights in 2022, making him one of the most credible voices on Joshua’s performance at the elite level. The two are now sharing a training camp ahead of Usyk’s May 23 crossover fight against Rico Verhoeven at the Pyramids of Giza, with Joshua joining Usyk’s camp and the pair training on staggered daily schedules.
Usyk also reacted to Fury’s comeback win over Arslanbek Makhmudov last Saturday, saying he watched the first six rounds before leaving for church. He confirmed he heard Fury’s post-fight call for a trilogy but made clear that the conversation has to wait until after his own fight.
“I heard Tyson say, ‘Hey, maybe trilogy for us, I’m ready.’ But after my fight with Rico, because now my focus is only May 23rd.”
Rather than dismissing Fury’s return to the ring, Usyk framed it as a positive development for the sport, while also noting that the current generation of heavyweight names is approaching the end of its window.
“Tyson is a crazy man, but come back, four or five times. Tyson back. It’s good now. It’s needed. Needed player. Because all of us heavyweights, I think we have one, two years and the era changes. Young guys come. We go rest, play soccer, golf, drink beer.”
Usyk has previously stated he has approximately three fights remaining in his career: the Verhoeven bout, the winner of Fabio Wardley vs. Daniel Dubois, and a potential trilogy with Fury. A Joshua and Fury fight could reshuffle that timeline, but Usyk’s prediction on who wins that matchup was unambiguous.
