Eccentric and hard to hit, Usyk a tricky opponent for Joshua

By JAMES ELLINGWORTH
AP Sports Writer

Anthony Joshua has never fought a challenger like Oleksandr Usyk. The unbeaten Ukrainian matches slick footwork with a quirky sense of humor. He is notoriously hard to hit. Usyk is fighting Joshua in London on Saturday as the mandatory challenger for the British fighter’s WBO belt. No Ukrainian has held a heavyweight title since 2015 when Wladimir Klitschko lost on points to Tyson Fury. Usyk is an entertainer in and out of the ring and moved up to heavyweight after unifying the cruiserweight division and essentially running out of opponents. Questions remain over whether he has enough punching power to win a heavyweight title.