Eddie Hearn hilariously compared Oleksandr Usyk’s suit at Thursday’s press conference to the Joker – and was spot on – and said the Ukrainian wants to play mind games.
Usyk is set to clash with Anthony Joshua at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday night, with the British heavyweight putting his three titles on the line.
The 34-year-old Ukrainian was the undisputed cruiserweight champion before stepping up to heavyweight.
The two fighters will face off in the weight-in on Friday, where their much-changed physiques will be fully revealed before the fight.
But the mind game really began during Thursday’s press conference, where Usyk turned up looking like the Clown Prince of Crime and tried to get into AJ’s head.
That’s according to Hearn, who exclusively told the talkSPORT Breakfast on Friday: “He’s a terrible rascal – he came dressed as the Joker!
“A lot of it is mind games with Usyk.
“He is a strange one, but he wants people to think he’s this psycho analysis figure and he can get into your mind and play with you in the ring.
“And to be fair he is quite scary, because he looks like he’s got zero fear.
“I think when he walk out on Saturday.
“When you look at his achievements as a cruiserweight, he went to Germany to beat Marco Huck, Latvia to beat Mairis Briedis, Russia to beat Murat Gassiev, he came to Manchester to beat Tony Bellew and then back to the UK again to beat Derek Chisora.
“So he’s travelled.
“But these AJ nights are a bit different. They’re not just the standard arena night, the intensity is on another level.
“So you’re going to see a top level heavyweight match-up on Saturday.”
Hearn also warned that it will be a difficult test against Usyk, who also won a gold medal at the 2012 Olympic Games.
He said: “AJ’s the bigger guy and he’s got about four inches reach on him, but he’s got to get hold of Usyk.
“He’s got to put a dent in him, to the body, to the arms, to the head, anywhere he can, because once Usyk gets in his rhythm he’s a very very difficult man to beat.
“You’ve got to be careful against someone like Usyk.
” The last man you want to skill off with is Usyk. Use your size, use your speed… you don’t have to be reckless, but any time he gets close to him, he’s got to nail him, he’s got to slow Usyk’s feet down, he’s got to take his heart away from him and ultimately he’s got to beat him up – that’s what the game’s all about.”
BETTING SPECIAL – GET ANTHONY JOSHUA AT 25/1 TO BEAT OLEKSANDR USYK OR 60-1 TO WIN IN ROUNDS 1-6