Joshua's ex-Olympic foe Dychko asks to fill in on June 1st

17/04/2019

Joshua's ex-Olympic foe Dychko asks to fill in on June 1st

Should a positive PED test exclude Jarrell “Big Baby” Miller from challenging WBA/WBO/IBF heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua on June 1st, a man who lost to Joshua in the 2012 Olymoics, Ivan Dychko says he’s ready and willing to step in. The 28-year-old Dychko (7-0, 7 KOs), a two-time Olympic bronze medal winner, not only stands 6'9", but has fought Joshua on basically even terms: the Kazakhstani lost a razor-thin decision (13-11) to Joshua in the semi-finals of the 2012 Summer Olympics in Joshua’s homeland of England. Joshua went on to win the gold. [Editor's note: Dychko has not fought since last July when he stopped Maurice Harris in one round. Harris was winless in his five fights preceding the Dychko knockout.]
 
“He knows he didn’t beat me then and he still can’t beat me,” said a fired-up Dychko. “He got a hometown decision and ended up winning my gold medal. Now is his chance to prove he deserved his success instead of it being handed to him. I’m here in great shape and ready to go.”
 
Dychko, who went 181-18 as an amateur, says he doesn’t need 20 professional fights to be ready for Joshua. “He’s the same fighter he always was,” said Dychko. “He gets his world rocked in every fight and then his little bit of power bails him out when his opponents get tired. I know exactly how to beat him. I already did.”
 
Dychko says he’s ready and waiting for his phone to ring.  “No disrespect to Big Baby. If he ends up fighting, I am happy for him, but if Anthony Joshua needs an opponent for June 1st, I am the one who deserves this. I’ll be waiting to hear from your people, Anthony.”