EDDIE HEAR has said that Oleksandr Usyk won't be a full-fledged heavyweight despite him gaining weight to face Anthony Joshua.
Unbeaten, the Ukrainian 34-year-old will challenge the British icon at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for the WBA and WBO titles on Saturday night.
Oleksandr Usyk won all 18 of his fights. 13 of his wins were within the distance
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After he defeated the cruiserweight division, he will fight in this weight class for the third time. He won all four World Boxing Super Series belts.
He weighed in at 15st 5lbs for Chazz witherspoon's first heavyweight fight, before Derek Chisora weighed in at 15st 7lbs.
And Usyk has stepped up his preparations for meeting fellow London 2012 gold medallist AJ in the ring.
Joshua, on the other hand, seems to value speed over size. He posted a slimmer physique to his Instagram account last Wednesday.
Joshua's promoter Hearn believes that Joshua is a "different kind of beast" as he insists that, despite The Cat’s obvious talent, his body transformation hasn’t convinced him that he can hang out with the big boys.
TalkSPORT was informed by him that Usyk would never be considered a full-fledged heavyweight. He is a big, muscular heavyweight.
BETTING SPECIAL - GET JOSHUA TO WIN IN ROUNDS 1-6 AT 60/1 OR ANYTIME AT 25/1"But what he will always possess is a tremendous amount of skill.
"It takes time to get into heavyweight. So let's put it this way: It would have been a lot easier fight against AJ a year and a half ago.
"Now that Usyk has fought in a real heavyweight contest in Chisora it will help him to begin to understand what is needed.
But AJ is a different type of beast. We'll see. A big man will always beat a small one.
Haftor Bjornsson, Game of Thrones actor and boxer, has spoken out about his concern for Usyk after his weight gain.
SunSport spoke with him and he stated that Joshua would be too big for Usyk.
Joshua and Usyk: All information about the TV, stream, and undercard ahead of Saturday's heavyweight fight
"Usyk is an excellent boxer, but there's a height and weight difference. I believe Usyk is starting to gain weight.
"So, I don't know how it will affect his performance. He won't be used being that heavy. We don't know what he will do.
Joshua is my favorite, regardless of whether it will make him stiffer or not. He feels more at home in this weight category.
