Oleksandr Usyk vs. Anthony Joshua 2 officials - Who are the judges and the referee?

The highly anticipated rematch between Anthony Joshua and Oleksandr Usyk is set to take place tonight at the Jeddah Superdrome in Saudi Arabia.

Joshua will be looking to become a three-time Heavyweight World Champion after losing his belts to the Ukrainian last September. Usyk shocked the world in 2021 when he dominated the Brit over 12 rounds to capture the WBA, IBF, IBO and WBO belts.

With such a pivotal fight on the horizon for both boxers, the officials could play a major role in who emerges victorious. The judges and referee have now been confirmed and include the following:

Referee: Luis Pabon (Cuba)

Judge 1 - Glenn Feldman (United States)

Judge 2 - Steve Gray (United Kingdom)

Judge 3 - Viktor Fesechko (Ukraine)

Check out Michael Benson's post:

Luis Pabon is no stranger to refereeing massive bouts. The Cuban was famously in charge of Wladimir Klitchsko vs. Alexander Povetkin in 2013. However, the official received criticism after not penalizing Klitchsko for excessively fouling the smaller Povetkin throughout the contest.

It remains to be seen if Pabon will show greater authority in Usyk-Joshua 2 where there is a chance that 'AJ' will fight in a more aggressive manner.

---

Anthony Joshua's trainer believes the judges won't be needed in the Usyk rematch

Anthony Joshua's trainer, Robert Garcia, is confident that 'AJ' can knock Usyk out and regain the belts without relying on the judges' decision. As per Garcia, Joshua' wasn't well prepared for the first Usyk fight. The renowned trainer believes the Brit will put on a much better performance in the rematch.

Here's what Garcia said in a recent interview with iFL TV:

"100% [on knocking out Oleksandr Usyk]. We've been watching some of those punches that he connected in the first fight. You know, I wasn't there in the first fight. I didn't know Anthony Joshua then. But when I came to camp, not one, not two, but everybody in camp including Anthony have told me that was the worst camp he's ever had."

Watch the full interview:

'AJ' was previously trained by Robert McCracken, who led him to victories against the likes of Klitchsko, Alexander Povetkin and Joseph Parker.

Regardless, after convincingly losing to Usyk, Joshua decided to change his training team by hiring Garcia. Garcia is renowned for teaching his fighters a come-forward style that focuses on securing the knockout.