Carl Froch: “Anthony Joshua needs a brain transplant to beat Oleksandr Usyk”
BetfredTV spoke to former IBF and WBC super-middleweight champion Carl Froch to find out why he believes Anthony Joshua needs a ‘brain transplant’ to win his rematch with Oleksandr Usyk and why he labels AJ as a ‘massive underdog’ for the fight.
Carl Froch’s prediction for Oleksandr Usyk vs Anthony Joshua’s rematch:
“I don’t know what Usyk’s weighing but he looks bigger. I don’t know if that’s an advantage or disadvantage. It might slow him down, but he’s not stupid enough where he’s going to go too big where he’ll become sluggish and slow. Evander Holyfield took a couple of years to develop when he stepped up to heavyweight from cruiserweight. He was young enough to do that. He disappeared for a while, and I don’t know what he did, but he came back looking meaty and was ready to compete with the other heavyweights. Usyk has already proven that he can compete with the top heavyweights after what he did to AJ. Let’s be honest and not pull any punches, but AJ got conclusively outboxed and then absolutely beat up in the last round by Usyk. Usyk to me looked like he was in second gear and he was doing what he had to do to keep his man at bay, just to keep him out the way, picking the shots to win the rounds and every time he sits down in the corner he’s being told ‘you’re winning, you’re winning’. When he slowly stepped it up and started to get to AJ then it began to look like quite a bad beating. The way he finished that first fight made me concerned for the rematch.
“He’s made some big changes, AJ. He’s changed his coach which I’m against because I’m biased because I was with Rob McCracken for my entire career. I lost two fights and stuck with him and I wouldn’t blame Rob McCracken for that. AJ stuck something on Rob McCracken’s shoulders and thought ‘ok I need a change’. Sometimes a change is good and hopefully this change for AJ will allow him to get his mind back. He’s got all the bigger physical attributes. He’s bigger, he’s taller, heavier, stronger, punches harder and if he leans on his opponent then it will be hard work for Usyk. I was quite a nervous amateur and if your mind isn’t right and you don’t believe in yourself then you’ve got a whole mountain to climb. When you’re negative and you feel like you can’t beat somebody then it’s very difficult to start beating them. I think Anthony Joshua hasn’t had belief ever since the Andy Ruiz loss.
“I think Anthony Joshua needs a brain transplant to beat Oleksandr Usyk. He’s got all the physical attributes but I don’t think he can beat him. It’s nothing against AJ but Usyk is that good, he’s brilliant. Look at his amateur career, look at his undisputed reign at cruiserweight and then look at what he did after that. He stepped up and dipped his toe in it against Derek Chisora and then he did what he did against AJ. For AJ to win this fight then he has to be totally on his A game, thoroughly believe in himself, which I don’t believe he does and then wipe out his team that deals with all his sponsorships, which are on him for endorsements and the whole business side. I don’t think he’s putting the work in and I know he’s not putting the work in when he’s sparring. You’ve got to be a fighter, a boxer and you’ve got to do the fundamentals. I used to do a 12 month training camp and I never cut corners, ever. If he can do everything right and believe in himself then he may be able to get the win, but you have to say that he’s a massive underdog.”
