sport news Anthony Joshua can emulate Muhammad Ali and Lennox Lewis by beating Usyk to set ... trends now
'Man, the first time was so nice, I had to do it twice,' Anthony Joshua bellowed after avenging his shock defeat to Andy Ruiz Jr to become a two-time heavyweight world champion in 2019.
Raising his belts aloft at the Diriyah Arena in Saudi Arena, having been rocked, dropped and ultimately shocked by his, on paper, significantly lesser opponent just six months prior, the Briton was once more the rightful owner of the WBA, WBO and IBF belts, and stood as the man to beat in the heavyweight division.
Three years later and Joshua finds himself in a near-identical situation: once again traveling to Saudi Arabia looking to bounce back following a painful defeat, once again looking to reclaim his collection of belts, and once again looking to get back on the road to undisputed.
Anthony Joshua became a two-time heavyweight champion with rematch victory over Andy Ruiz Jr in 2019
The Briton now faces an all-important rematch against Oleksandr Usyk (left) later this month
Parallels, yes, but a different challenge entirely. Against Oleksandr Usyk, arguably boxing's current pound-for-pound best, a man who not only beat but schooled Joshua in their first bout last year, there is no quick fix; staying out of range against a largely immobile opponent is not a viable game plan this time.
Nor is remaining disciplined and avoiding a firefight, which Joshua did at his own peril last September at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. If the 32-year-old is going to join the likes of Muhammad Ali, Vitali Klitschko and Lennox Lewis in becoming a three-time champion, that big right hand will most certainly be needed.
Joshua was warned by many not to jump into an immediate rematch - just as he was after losing to Ruiz Jr. But, as it was then, the risk is certainly not without reward. Forget retirement talk, rematch victory would, you'd hope, finally cement an undisputed clash against Tyson Fury in what would be the biggest fight in British history.
Repeat or revenge is the therefore question, and on August 20 we'll have the answer. But while repeat is widely deemed the more likely outcome, both fighters acknowledge the second fight will be different to the first.
Indeed, while it's less than a year since the pair last shared the squared circle, so much has changed in that time - for both fighters.
For Usyk, everything has shifted: his purpose in life; what he's fighting for; what victory means - that all changed when Russian troops entered Ukraine on February 24 and war broke out on European soil.
The 35-year-old quickly abandoned all thought of a rematch against Joshua as he joined Vitali and Wladimir Klitschko and longtime friend Vasiliy Lomachenko in joining the Ukrainian army.
He left the forces in March to begin training for the rematch, but the Ukrainian plans to return to the front line immediately after the bout.
'I did not want to leave my city. I really did not want to leave my country,' he said in June. 'But when I went to the hospitals where our wounded soldiers are being rehabilitated they told me to go. Go to fight this fight not only for your pride but for Ukraine. You will do even more for our country fighting in the ring than fighting here.
'So now I want to bring some kind of joy to those soldiers and to those staying in the front line by doing what I do.' He added: 'Immediately after I defend my titles against Joshua I plan to return to Kyiv. I must be in my country.'
