Unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk has included former two-time champion Anthony Joshua in his list of top five boxers in the world despite defeating the British-Nigerian twice, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
The Ukrainian, who is preparing for his heavyweight title rematch against Tyson Fury in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on December 21, made the surprise inclusion during an interview with DAZN.
Usyk, who handed Fury his first professional defeat in May, named pound-for-pound king Terence Crawford and super-middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez as his top two choices before adding Joshua to the list.
The inclusion comes as a surprise following Joshua’s recent knockout defeat to Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium in September, his fourth professional loss.
Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn recently revealed that the 34-year-old is still “hurting” from the devastating loss to Dubois, who dropped him four times before securing a fifth-round stoppage.
“Yeah, he is hurting. He took a pasting at times in that fight and I think he has got his back up and he wants to come back stronger,” Hearn told talkSPORT.
Despite their rivalry, Usyk also included Fury in his top five, alongside undefeated Japanese sensation Naoya Inoue, who continues to dominate the bantamweight division.
Fury has promised a different approach in the rematch, vowing to knock out the Ukrainian. “Last time, I went to box him, I was being cautious. This time I’m not going for a points decision. I’m going to knock that motherf****r out,” the Brit declared.
The winner of the December 21 clash could potentially face Joshua in 2024, with Hearn confirming his fighter has no plans to retire despite calls from several boxing personalities.