Anthony Joshua has given the edge to Oleksandr Usyk when he faces Tyson Fury on February 17.
Joshua hopes to be ringside when Fury and Usyk fight for the undisputed heavyweight championship in Saudi Arabia.
‘AJ’, who was relieved of his WBA ‘super’, WBO and IBF belts by Usyk in September 2021 and then in a rematch 11 months later, expects the Ukrainian two-weight world champion to see off WBC champion, Fury and become the first undisputed champion in the four-belt era.
“I really want to be here [in Saudi Arabia] for that fight,” Joshua told Boxing Social.
“I don’t know. I’ve fought Usyk, I think he’s a phenomenal fighter and he’s got a great team around him.
“Honestly and you’re only as good as your team and I think he’s got a really good team around him.
“After being in the ring and studying him and still studying him now, I think that he’s the one to edge it, probably because I’ve experience his ring generalship and ring craft on two occasions and I think he’s top tier.”
The former two-time heavyweight world champion, secured his third win of 2023 when he forced Otto Wallin to retire at the end of fifth round in December.
The 34-year-old had signed to fight Deontay Wilder, but that long-awaited showdown was scuppered after ‘The Bronze Bomber’ lost handily to Joseph Parker on the same card.
Promoter Eddie Hearn has named three potential opponents for Joshua, who is expected to return to action in March.
A clash with Filip Hrgovic was mooted prior to AJ’s win over Wallin, potentially for the IBF title with the belt likely to become vacant following Fury vs Usyk.
“Right now, we have three fights that we’re in discussions for they’re all big,” Hearn told IFL TV.
“And that doesn’t involve Deontay Wilder.
“Before March our aim, and we’ve discussed this, is to fight the winner of Fury versus Usyk. That is all we want to do.
“Obviously there’s a Hrgovic fight out there for the world heavyweight title; there’s a Francis Ngannou fight out there which would be absolutely colossal.
“There’s other heavyweights as well, the Zhang fight possibly as well with Queensberry.”
