Joe Gallagher: Past, Present and Future

When Joe Gallagher was 16, he had to get a job. He followed his dad into the construction trade and whatever dreams he had for making it as a boxer were washed away by his economic reality. 

And while decades later Gallagher would achieve success as a boxing trainer, that pivotal moment from his teenage years still haunted him. Too many kids like him had to put education or athletic achievement aside because of financial necessity. Young adults were falling through the cracks and as a result it would become much harder for them to discover and achieve their potential.  

Unlike many who chafe at society's ills without helping to find solutions, Gallagher decided to take action. In 2018 he started the Joe Gallagher Academy to help 16 to 19-year-olds. Featuring an education curriculum and boxing instruction, the Academy helps students who would otherwise be left out of more traditional educational avenues. Students go through rigorous coursework, prepare for their national exams and receive boxing education from Gallagher and many of his current and former fighters. 

Photo Courtesy of Joe Gallagher

Now in its fourth year and with two locations in the greater Manchester area, the Academy has 50 students with 26 new ones enrolling this year. And for Gallagher, he couldn't be happier regarding the progress of the Academy.  

"It's getting bigger and bigger," Gallagher said. "The female section is growing. We're having national [amateur] champions. We have people who commute on the train every morning from Leeds, from Liverpool, from Stoke, from Carlisle. We had people relocate to Manchester and set up here. I'm very proud of it." 

Gallagher sees the Academy as a second chance for his students. Many had not applied themselves academically or had the confidence to achieve their goals. He sees the boxing part of the program working in tandem with the educational coursework to create more well-rounded individuals. The one-on-one time with professional fighters such as Charlie Edwards, Anthony Crolla, Callum Smith and Tasha Jonas has also been confidence-builders.  

As the Academy has matured, the success stories are growing. A number of students have gone to university. One is part of the Team GB squad. His students now have avenues in their academic, professional and athletic careers that weren't available to them just a few years prior.  

"We have students going into sports psychology," said Gallagher. "They've gone into conditioning, nutrition, journalism and also people that wanted to work in the leisure industry. And some people have carried on and turned professionals or have been called up by the Team GB program."

As part of the Academy, Gallagher pays for an annual trip to Barcelona where his students receive boxing instruction, experience leaving home (a number for the first time), and even take a tour of the Barcelona football (soccer) stadium. He believes that taking students out of their comfort zone is character building and can open their eyes to other opportunities in the world.  

Gallagher's day job is of course a full-time boxing trainer, with current fighters such as Callum Johnson, Edwards, Jonas, Paul Butler, Callum Thompson, Mark Heffron and many others. Gallagher has now been a professional trainer for 20 years, but he is used to the juggling.  

When he started out as a trainer, he was working at the airport. He had a secure job that included strong benefits. But boxing kept gnawing at him. It wouldn't let him out of its grasp. By 2009, Gallagher had established significant momentum with Matthew Macklin and John Murray, both of whom were making their way up the world rankings. Over the objection of many, he made the decision to quit his job at the airport and give boxing his full attention. 

"I was working five nights a week," he said, "working 12-hour shifts. Getting home at 7 o’clock. Get up at 11 or half 11. Get to the gym by 12. Train until 3. Get on the track to 6 or half 6. Then get on the train and start working again at 7. I was shattered at the end of the week...The wife didn’t want me to pack it in, but I just said to her, if you don’t let me do it, I’ll be thinking on my deathbed 'what if, what if.' I told her I just got to go with it." 

And Gallagher, unlike many others, was able to follow his dreams, even if belatedly. It has paid off for him handsomely, with world champions like Callum Smith, Anthony Crolla, Liam Smith and others. He won the Ring Magazine Trainer of the Year Award in 2015, an honor rarely given to a trainer from England.  

Students from the Joe Gallagher Academy
Photo courtesy of Joe Gallagher

Gallagher is no longer the young gun in boxing training and he understands the cycles of the sport. Sometimes you're the hot name. Sometimes another one comes along. In recent years, he's lost fighters to retirement and others like Liam and Callum Smith have joined with other coaches. Gallagher harbors no ill will towards those who have left him. He would rather reflect on what they were able to accomplish together than say a disparaging word. And as Gallagher has lost fighters, he has also added some, most notably former champion Charlie Edwards.  

Although Gallagher has won accolades, he acknowledges that peer and public recognition help motivate him. "When you’re a child at school that’s done well," he said, "you get a sticker in your book and a pat on the back. Or if you’re a salesman selling cars and you hit the target this month and you get the bonus. Boxing trainers are no different. Everyone wants a pat on the back." 

Despite his longevity and success, Gallagher still has the chip on his shoulder of someone who was never given anything. He likes fighters who aren't necessarily blue chips, who have underperformed with other trainers, or who have been written off. He points to Liam Smith as one of his favorite success stories. Gallagher likes his fighters hungry and feeling passed over. It helps with his "us vs. them" mentality. Famously, Gallagher makes every new fighter undergo a month trial period before making a decision on whether the boxer is the right fit for his gym. And that applies to every fighter: world champion or novice. 

He's looking for fighters with a certain mentality – those who want to prove people wrong, those who can be a diamond in the rough, such as Anthony Crolla, a boxer few would have predicted to become a world champion.   

Gallagher is a great talker and he remains a student of boxing. There's very little in the sport that slips past him. He can opine on boxing's trends, problems, and peculiarities. And if he laments the inactivity among top fighters or the sport's inability to produce big fights on a consistent basis, he also knows what boxing has done for him: It has helped him achieve success far beyond his dreams.  

So, while there will always be new dragons to slay in boxing, challenges to face, and opportunities to prove oneself, Gallagher is aware that he has made a real contribution in the sport, and just as importantly he is playing a significant role in helping young adults gain their footing in the world. Gallagher had to chart his own course, against stacked odds, but he knows that he's an exception. Perhaps the odds don't have to be so stacked for his students. Because of his efforts, a few dozen young adults might not need to say "what if, what if." And that extends to the boxing ring, and far beyond. 

Adam Abramowitz is the founder and head writer of saturdaynightboxing.com. He's a member of Ring Magazine's Ring Ratings Panel and a Board Member for the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board. 

Email: saturdaynightboxing@hotmail.com.

snboxing on twitter. SN Boxing on Facebook.  

Punch 2 the Face Radio

In this week's Punch 2 the Face podcast, Brandon and I previewed the intriguing Herring-Stevenson fight. We also recapped a night of upsets on DAZN with Mikey Garcia and Elwin Soto losing. This was also our five-year anniversary show. We reflected on some of favorite moments of the past five years. To listen to the show, click on the links below: 

Apple podcast link:

Spotify link:

I heart radio link:

Stitcher link:

Adam Abramowitz is the founder and head writer of saturdaynightboxing.com. He's a member of Ring Magazine's Ring Ratings Panel and a Board Member for the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board. 

Email: saturdaynightboxing@hotmail.com.

snboxing on twitter. SN Boxing on Facebook. 

Opinions and Observations: Fury-Wilder 3

Every now and then boxing reveals a level of primal savagery that reaches far beyond skills, technique and tactics. This type of combat is fighting at its most foundational and scary, harkening back to a time well before there was a sport or rules for engagement. Saturday's Tyson Fury-Deontay Wilder heavyweight title fight was an example of this primordial combat. This was two people engaging in a relentless and vicious war of wills to protect what's theirs, to overcome a foe determined to inflict life-changing damage. These fights don't happen often; even many fights of the year don't reach this rarified air. 

Fury-Wilder 3 transcended the notion of a boxing match, even a great one. The fight included five knockdowns, three from Fury and two from Wilder, and resulted in a Fury 11th-round stoppage, but even those eye-catching statistics fail to capture the nature of what transpired in the ring. Fury-Wilder 3 will be remembered for the ferocity of its combat, the unyielding determination of its fighters, and how each combatant was unwilling to succumb. 

Photo courtesy of Mikey Williams

The round-by-round scoring of Saturday's fight was almost incidental. Fury scored a knockdown in the third. Wilder had two in fourth. Fury had a second knockdown in the tenth. But even in the rounds where no fighter went down, the action featured a ferocity and brutality where both left it all in the ring. The kitchen sink was unloaded; all weapons were unholstered. Nothing remained in the gym or the dressing room. 

By the sixth round Fury was in control of the action. Using his 277-lb. frame to batter Wilder in clinches and along the ropes, Fury demonstrated his mastery of close-quarter combat. He landed truly menacing shots: chopping right hands, left hooks to the head and body, right uppercuts and looping right hands. When he would connect with a power punch or a two-punch combination, he would go to town with grappling and bullying, trying to gain control of his opponent physically and mentally. In every round from the sixth on, Wilder looked like he could go down at any moment... but he somehow stayed on his feet; he would not yield. 

Wilder didn't win the eighth, ninth or tenth rounds, yet even after being battered through large portions of those frames, he found moments to turn the tide and unload his best power shots. Unlike in previous fights in the series, Wilder utilized every tool at his disposal. He landed a couple of blistering uppercuts. He flashed a surprise left hook or two. He brought his right downstairs at times. 

In the tenth, Wilder was dropped from a quick right hand from Fury. Wilder was off-balance when the shot landed and badly hurt. Yet even in the final moments of that round, he was able to turn Fury on the ropes and fire back a desperate salvo of huge power shots that temporarily saved him from more damage.

A picture-perfect two-punch combination from Fury in the 11th concluded the fight. With Wilder along the ropes, Fury landed a crushing left hook to the head and followed with a right hook, which Wilder never saw. Wilder fell over to his right side, his body completely defenseless for the ensuing impact. Referee Russell Mora immediately called the fight off. It was the right time to save the fighter from himself. No doubt Wilder would have tried to beat the count, to keep on going. But he had taken too much.  

***

In a much-discussed move after the second Fury-Wilder fight, where Wilder was systematically dismantled by Fury, Deontay fired his co-trainer, Mark Breland. What followed was a lot of nastiness – accusations of cheating, traitorous behavior, poisoning drinks. This was not a dignified time for Wilder and his actions and words led a lot of ill-will in the boxing community. 

Instead of hiring an established cornerman for the third Fury fight, someone with bona fides at the top level, Wilder selected Malik Scott to train him. Scott had been a former opponent of Wilder's and one of his chief sparring partners. Although Scott was certainly inexperienced as pro trainer, he had built a reputation as being one of the best sparring partners in the heavyweight division. And even though his own fights were often tough to sit through because of a lack of action, there was no doubting his considerable boxing foundation. But would he be able to teach Wilder? Would Wilder be receptive to change? 

Photo courtesy of Mikey Williams

Scott's hiring was criticized by many corners in the boxing world. Scott was portrayed as a yes-man, a neophyte and out of his depth. Yet, watching Wilder on Saturday, there was no doubt how much Scott was able to impart on his good friend in just one training camp. 

Wilder on Saturday was exponentially better than he was against Fury in either of their two previous fights. Wilder started with a coherent plan, with long left jabs to the body. The impact of these shots helped to create distance and let Fury know that he couldn't rush in without worrying about return fire. 

Where Wilder was criticized in the past for being a little lazy in the ring, for not trying to win rounds, Wilder fought Saturday's fight with a new-found sense of urgency. And where Wilder often refused to throw anything except his jab and right hand, Scott had Wilder throwing everything in his arsenal – rights and jabs to the body, left hooks, right uppercuts. 

Positionally, Wilder did much better along the ropes than he did in the second fight. Yes, Fury still got the better of the action in most of these moments. But, and this is a big but, Wilder did much better at clinching, working in the clinch and spinning off the ropes. He still lost many of these battles, but he competed in these aspects of the fight far better than he did in their second one, and it's obvious that this was something worked on and improved upon during training camp. 

Even Wilder's two knockdowns on Saturday were uncharacteristic from his past fights. His first came from a mid-range right hand that caught Fury on his way in. His second was from a variety of cuffing shots at short range. These were new wrinkles from Wilder, who usually did most of his best work from distance. Wilder will never be a master in close quarters, but there was improvement on Saturday and a sense that he's not helpless in that range. It's clear that he worked on shortening up his punches and adding some variety to his repertoire. 

Scott, of course, isn't a magician and many of Wilder's bad habits did reemerge when he faced duress. His footwork was too ponderous and he often wasn't in position to throw. He would often cross his feet, which made it tough to defend himself properly. He also didn't return to the jab after having some early success. Maybe it wouldn't have mattered given the nature of the fight, but perhaps the change of pace with the jab would have been able to make a couple of those big shots land with greater impact. 

***  

For as improved as Wilder was in the third fight, he still couldn't get the best of Fury. And it's almost easy to run out of superlatives for Tyson. Not only is he an expert boxer from distance, as he proved in their first fight, but he learned to batter opponents on the inside. He has solutions for every range in a fight. Remember, he beat Wladimir Klitschko mostly as a southpaw, a wrinkle that he didn't even show in the Wilder fights. His footwork, balance and punch variety are uncommonly good for a big man. He's a special talent and as boxing fans we are fortunate to see that he has overcome his personal demons and can now display his myriad gifts to the best of his abilities. 

But ultimately, Saturday's fight and the Wilder trilogy as a whole wasn't about Fury's multiplicity of skills as much as his heart and undeniable fighting spirit. Fury somehow got up from a right hand/left hook combo in the 12th round of the first fight. Almost everyone watching thought that the fight was over after Wilder landed. But not only did Fury persevere, he won the rest of the round. 

Photo courtesy of Mikey Williams

On Saturday Fury recovered from a vicious knockdown in the fourth that short-circuited his senses. Dropped again later in the round, Fury looked like he may not be able to survive. But he took the minute break between rounds, cleared his head and went back to business. By the sixth he had again established control of the fight. His recuperative powers are truly magnificent, but it's not just a physical attribute. He has supreme self-belief and an unwillingness to yield. 

The Fury-Wilder trilogy was an odd one where Fury won two fights cleanly and had a strong case for winning the third, and yet the series was unforgettable. Wilder may have only won seven or so rounds in the whole series, but that aspect won't be remembered. The series produced indelible moments like Wilder's two-piece in the 12th round of fight one and Fury's rising against all odds; Fury's dominance on the inside in the second fight; the ferocious combat from both in the third bout, with each hitting the deck multiple times and throwing everything imaginable to survive, to emerge as the winner.

Fury-Wilder 3 was a gift for boxing fans, a reminder of how special the sport can be. Tyson and Deontay took an unfathomable amount of damage for greater glory and just rewards. It was prizefighting at its very best, and the fight will immediately be added to the annals of great moments in an imperfect sport. Boxing has too many warts and problems to count. But never forget that it also includes Fury-Wilder 3 and fights of this ilk, thrilling examples of the best that sport can offer.  

Adam Abramowitz is the founder and head writer of saturdaynightboxing.com. He's a member of Ring Magazine's Ring Ratings Panel and a Board Member for the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board. 

Email: saturdaynightboxing@hotmail.com.

snboxing on twitter. SN Boxing on Facebook.  

Opinions and Observations: Joshua-Usyk

Oleksandr Usyk had a rough eighth round on Saturday. Repeatedly tagged by Anthony Joshua's right hand and not throwing back during large sections of the round, Usyk was feeling the weight of the blows from the heavyweight champ. Usyk had started the fight wonderfully, but now the scores were tightening and Joshua was the fighter on the ascendency. 

Anthony Joshua would not win another round in the fight. 

Usyk is among a rare breed who can perform expertly under duress. Whenever he's been hit with hard shots, whether by Tony Bellew, Mairis Briedis or Michael Hunter to name three additional examples, he has an ability to persevere, to redouble his efforts, to execute even better.

Usyk (left) lands a left hand
Photo courtesy of Mark Robinson

Usyk's performance in in the last third of the fight on Saturday demonstrates how considerable his gifts are. In the business-end of the fight, he thought more clearly, he seized his opportunities better, he willed his way to perform to the best of his abilities. Joshua didn't gas; he kept throwing and trying. However, it was Usyk who was the more seasoned pro down the stretch. He was the one who could land more consistently and minimize incoming fire when it was most critical. 

By the 12th round, Joshua was fortunate to make it to the final bell (which might have rung a few seconds early). He was in bad shape. Usyk's straight left hands did too much damage. Joshua didn't collapse or fall apart mentally, but he no longer was clear-headed; he was being outmaneuvered and outfought. 

Usyk won by a unanimous decision and displayed a number of world-class skills. His head movement and feinting perplexed Joshua early in the fight. His footwork didn't allow Joshua to establish a consistent rhythm. His quick straight left hand found its mark repeatedly in the fight. He had faster hands and feet, and was more accurate. 

But as much as the above helped him to win the fight, his "intangibles" put him over the top. Usyk can take an excellent punch. But it's not just that he has a sturdy chin; he can still think clearly after getting rattled. He doesn't lose his wits, even against huge punchers like Gassiev or Joshua. He has supreme confidence in his abilities, but it's not just self-belief: he acts on it. From the ninth round on he drew a line in the sand. He would not retreat any more. He would push forward. He would not lose this fight. 

It's this strong psychological makeup that helps make Usyk such a special fighter. There are all kinds of elite fighters. Some are knockout artists, some are frontrunners. Usyk is one that can take (and I mean "get hit with") whatever an opponent has to offer and keep coming. And his answer isn't just throwing more punches or letting fights devolve into wars. When the chips are down, he's at his sharpest, his most focused. The separation of talent between him and his opponent becomes greater.   

As for some other aspects of the fight that caught my eye, I think that the first three rounds were fascinating to watch. Usyk started off much faster than he often does and met Joshua with a number of stinging left hands. Fighting against a popular fighter in his hometown (spare me the Watford vs. London stuff), Usyk understood that he didn't have rounds to play with. He had to make an early, definitive statement, and he did just that. 

To be honest, I'm not exactly sure what the plan was for Joshua in the first three rounds. For some reason he started out in mid-range, a geography where Usyk could reach him. Joshua was jabbing a lot, but also from too close, which made it possible for Usyk to counter with relative ease. He was also overshooting his right hand. If Joshua had taken a huge step back and executed a similar game plan, he would have had more success, but he got his range wrong from the first minute of the fight. I don't know if that was a Joshua problem or his trainer's (Rob McCracken), but either way it was a significant technical error, which led to becoming a larger strategic one. 

Usyk displaying his belts after the win
Photo courtesy of Mark Robinson

I thought that Joshua started to feel his way into the fight more consistently in the fourth round. Whether he won that round or not, he finally had the distance right. At long range, Usyk had to reach more, to jump in. Joshua was safer there and didn't take as many big shots. He could also uncork his right hand from distance and land it with real authority. 

From the fourth round to the eighth, a semblance of a coherent game plan formed for Joshua (although Usyk won the seventh round clearly). He would land his right hand and then come in behind it, when Usyk wasn't looking to counter too quickly. Again, if Joshua had performed in this manner from the start of the fight, it's possible that the bout could have played out differently. But the first three rounds were critical in setting up the last third of the fight. For whatever success Joshua started to have, Usyk already knew that he could land his best shots on Joshua. He wouldn't have to invent new angles or unholster additional punches. He could get his left hand home. It became a matter of willing himself to do so. And he met that challenge head-on. 

There are many potential takeaways from Joshua-Usyk. It's not every day when a former cruiserweight champion wins a heavyweight title. But for me, the size disadvantage isn't what made Usyk's performance special. It was his ability to perform after his most difficult moments of the fight. Usyk wouldn't wilt. He wouldn't let doubts creep into his head. There were no excuses. He would face down one of the biggest punches in the sport and take a stand: 

This is my ring. I am going to take this fight. And there's nothing you can do about it. 

This was Usyk. This was greatness.

Adam Abramowitz is the founder and head writer of saturdaynightboxing.com. He's a member of Ring Magazine's Ring Ratings Panel and a Board Member for the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board. 

Email: saturdaynightboxing@hotmail.com.

snboxing on twitter. SN Boxing on Facebook. 

Joshua-Usyk: Keys to the Fight

Heavyweight hardware will be on the line Saturday at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London as Anthony Joshua (24-1, 22 KOs) will be defending his belts against former cruiserweight king Oleksandr Usyk (18-0, 13 KOs). An attempt to match Joshua and fellow heavyweight titlist Tyson Fury fell through over the summer after an arbitrator ruled that Fury was mandated to give Deontay Wilder a third fight. The winner of Joshua-Usyk is still slated to face the winner of Fury-Wilder 3, but first things first, getting the victory in the semifinal of this de facto heavyweight tournament.  

Although most boxing fans would have preferred for Joshua to face Fury for all the marbles in the division, Usyk presents a tasty alternative. A 6'3" southpaw with mobility, refined boxing skills and a sturdy chin, Usyk possesses numerous dimensions that are unique in the heavyweight division. Although his first two heavyweight fights haven't wowed boxing fans, an opponent like Joshua shares few similarities with Dereck Chisora, Usyk's last foe. The avenues that led to Chisora having periods of success against Usyk – inside fighting, relentless pressure – aren’t how Joshua fights, nor should they be. They are two distinct styles for fighters with significantly different physical dimensions and inherent boxing gifts. 

Joshua (left) and Usyk (right) at the fight week presser
Photo courtesy of Mark Robinson

Joshua still has an intimidating 88% knockout rate, but since his loss to Andy Ruiz in 2019, he's been far more cautious in the ring. He boxed to a wide decision victory against Ruiz in the rematch and although he knocked out Kubrat Pulev in his last fight, he sure did take his time in getting there. A further wrinkle is that Joshua hasn't fought a southpaw in five years and a tricky lefthander could continue the trend of Joshua fighting cautiously. 

Below will be the keys to the fight. My prediction will be at the end of the article. 

1. Joshua needs to keep it basic.

By utilizing just his jab and right hand, Joshua can defeat most top heavyweights. These two punches keep opponents on the outside, where many heavyweights are far from their best. Joseph Parker and Andy Ruiz couldn't do anything with Joshua when he kept the fight at range. And although Joshua has faced a couple of opponents who can damage him from distance (Klitschko, Povetkin), those have been few and far between in his career. 

If this fight becomes a battle of one-twos, Joshua will win. Usyk's jab and straight left hand from distance, although solid, aren't his money shots. Usyk is at his best in mid-range, where he can throw his hooks and create angles, often unpredictable ones, to land his power shots. It would benefit Joshua to throw his jab consistently throughout the fight. It may not land with regularity, but it will keep Usyk busy enough on defense to prevent rushes on the inside. 

Joshua needs to remain disciplined with this approach, similar to how he was against Ruiz in the rematch (although he won't need to move as much as he did there). Yes, Joshua has a great left hook and his right uppercut might be his best knockout weapon, but those punches create opportunities for Usyk, whereas if Joshua sticks with the jab and straight right, he should be able to limit Usyk's offensive forays. 

2. Usyk often takes a few rounds to start his offense; don't do that here.

Similar to many top boxers, such as Lomachenko, Crawford, Mayweather and Hopkins, Usyk will often be stingy will his offense in the initial rounds of a fight, waiting to see what his opponent has to offer. Often, he'll give up some early rounds, like he did against Michael Hunter, Tony Bellew and Chisora. But in my estimation, that strategy would be a severe miscalculation against Joshua. 

As the home fighter, Joshua will have the crowd on his side. If Joshua can claw out a few early rounds with just a few jabs and a nice right hand or two, that would play directly into what I think his fight strategy is going to be. I don't think that Joshua will be looking for a battle royale. He's mature enough, I believe, to understand that at this phase of his career a win is a win. 

Usyk has to get Joshua out of his Plan A and force him to fight at a faster pace than he would like. Joshua can make mistakes. He can misjudge range and throw the wrong shots at the wrong time. But that will only happen if Usyk applies real pressure. And if we want to talk about round-by-round scoring, if Usyk gives Joshua a courtesy two rounds before he gets started, he will need to win seven of the next ten to win a decision. That's a tall order and leaves very little margin to play with, especially as the opponent. Usyk has to contest every round. 

3. Usyk needs to hurt Joshua.

Anthony Joshua doesn't have strong recuperative powers. After being knocked down against Klitschko, it took him three rounds to get back to trying to win the fight. In the first Ruiz fight, he wasn't much of a factor after he was dropped in the second round. There's a saying in boxing that a wounded fighter is the most dangerous fighter, but that's not the case with Joshua. When he's hurt, he's not doing much on offense. 

For Usyk to capitalize on this weakness of Joshua's he'll have to do two things: commit to his power shots, and don't leave it too late. There's a scenario where Usyk might want to pot-shot his way to win some rounds. And maybe that will work at parts of the fight. But Joshua still has that thudding straight right that does damage. His power shots are easy to see for the judges. Usyk can go in-and-out on Joshua to limit damage; however, he's still going to have to get enough done offensively for judges to give him rounds. And it's not going to be a touch jab or a pushed left hand to erase a Joshua right hand thunderbolt. 

Usyk's best way of winning the fight is for Joshua to be in those situations where he doesn't throw anything back, where he's too concerned about surviving instead of launching his own offense. But Usyk needs to get him to that point, and that means some of his craftier power shots need to come into play – his high-arching right hook that lands on the top of the head or the ear, and a slinging left hand between the gloves (that's the punch that knocked out Tony Bellew). Usyk must be untraditional with his attack. He'll have the element of surprise with these shots, but he has to commit to them. 

And let's say that Usyk will have three rounds to play with if he's able to hurt Joshua. That's only relevant if he's able to inflict damage early enough in the fight for those rounds to matter. In other words, hurt Joshua in the seventh, where there are five rounds left in the fight, instead of the 12th, where all AJ needs to do is survive until the final bell. Usyk not only must take initiative in the fight in terms of pace and volume, but he has to cause damage, and early enough for it to matter. 

4. Joshua must ignore the crowd. 

Joshua admitted that he was reckless in the first Ruiz fight, rushing in for the stoppage after he had knocked Ruiz down. That display of machismo from Joshua enabled Ruiz to turn the tables in that round, and essentially won him the fight. Joshua's fans love him and they want to see knockouts. But Joshua can't play to the crowd. Usyk is too tricky and accomplished at making opponents pay for their mistakes. 

The goal should be to limit Usyk's opportunities, to take the sting out of the fight. This will give Joshua his best chance of winning. Joshua becomes vulnerable once a fight turns into a shootout, and that's something he wants to avoid on Saturday. I think the duller the better for Joshua, and if the crowd boos, let them; many of them are Tottenham fans – they are used to not getting what they want. 

Prediction: 

I'd love to tell you that Joshua-Usyk will be a can't-miss action fight, but I don't see that happening. I think that we'll see a cagey, technical 12-round fight with few memorable punches landed. Ultimately, it's a matchup issue. Both fighters are smart enough to respect their opponent and they also have the specific skills to negate what the other one wants to do. Usyk's feet and herky-jerky rhythms will stop Joshua from establishing a consistent offensive flow. Joshua's right hands will cause Usyk to be more cautious than he would like to be.

It will be an interesting fight for those who like chess matches: one or two big shots a round could be enough to take it. And how they set these shots up will require maximum skill and craft. But for the bloodthirsty ghouls, I'm afraid that Joshua-Usyk could disappoint. 

But that's boxing. I'm glad that Joshua-Usyk is happening. Usyk's a terrific opponent. However, I just don't think that the fight's going to catch fire. And that's OK. Ultimately, I think that Joshua's jab and right hand land enough for him to win a decision in a competitive fight, something like 8 rounds to 4 or 9 rounds to 3.  

Anthony Joshua defeats Oleksandr Usyk by decision.

Adam Abramowitz is the founder and head writer of saturdaynightboxing.com. He's a member of Ring Magazine's Ring Ratings Panel and a Board Member for the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board. 

Email: saturdaynightboxing@hotmail.com.

snboxing on twitter. SN Boxing on Facebook.