Anthony Joshua WILL deliver KO win over Oleksandr Usyk if he avoids one mistake

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Heavyweight boxer Anthony Joshua

Joshua seeking redemption in Saudi Arabia once again (Picture: Getty)

Frazer Clarke, Olympic medal winner and Anthony Joshua’s long-time trainer partner and friend, gives his insider view on Saturday’s rematch against Oleksandr Uysk.

The first time I met Anthony Joshua was 2009 when I boxed him as an amateur. I sparred him the whole way through the Olympics, before his professional debut and in most of the camps leading up to this point now. And if I have not been sparring him, I have been involved at his side in the gym. You build relationships with people in boxing and a lot of them are built on respect.

With AJ, it is not because he is Anthony Joshua, world heavyweight champion. I respected him well before he became that. For his hustle, for the fire he has in his eyes, the hunger to do better and change his life. It was the same then and it is the same now. He’s just Josh to me.

I’ve sparred hundreds of rounds with Joshua over the years – in the lead-up up to this fight my role has simply been a gym friend. Everyone needs them. Someone you pat on the back if they are doing well or telling them they need to pull their finger out because they are not giving it what they need to. I have never had to do that with Josh this camp, it has been so intense.

He’s just another fighter in the gym who happens to be a former heavyweight world champion. But he is training like a competitor again, the underdog, maybe for the first time since the Wladimir Klitschko fight. And he has been showing something that he might have to show again against Usyk on the night.

Inside training camp

In camp, I have seen those switches in AJ, the ones where he leaves people with sore heads the next morning. I have never not seen him focused really but he is 100 per cent dedicated to the cause. He has invested in himself and he has invested a lot of money into the camp to get the best sparring partners, the best he can get for himself to give himself the best chance of winning this fight.

Anthony Joshua and Robert Garcia

Robert Garcia has also joined the team alongside Fernandez (Picture: Getty)

Joshua and I share a trainer in Angel Fernandez. In mine and Angel’s relationship, there is a little bit of fire between us. Sometimes we are getting on and other times he might have to read the riot act.

But he is always the boss, he is in charge and we fully respect that. I love his enthusiasm for boxing. He is a boxing man through and through, he is always looking to better himself as a coach and better his fighters. He wants to be the best coach in the world and we want to be the best fighters in the world so it is a perfect match.

What went wrong last year

Some people say AJ needed that change in direction after the defeat last September. But we have to remember, everyone is due a bad performance. And it is not like that was the worst performance in the world, he just didn’t do enough to win.

People have good days and bad days, that’s sport and it is same with everyone in every walk of life. I just think Joshua is the man in control, he is the one doing the fighting and it is down to him now. There is only so much everyone can tell him, there is only so much he can be guided. When he climbs through those ropes on Saturday night, everything he has done in the last 16 weeks will be with him.

Joshua was comprehensively beaten by Usyk last September (Picture: Getty)

Oleksandr Usyk is no blown-up cruiserweight – he is a heavyweight alright. And he is an athletic heavyweight, that makes him even more of a nightmare. He can move and we know for sure he can stay there in the pocket and fight.

Looking back on the first fight, it was a tough night. If you ask me if AJ could have boxed better in the first fight, the answer is ‘absolutely’. If you ask me if he could have applied different tactics – absolutely. Was it just a bad day? You can throw that in the mix too. The thing with boxing is you can have as many bad days as you want in this gym, as long as your best day is on fight night. And I think that is where you need the stars to align sometimes.

Everything has to go for yo. You have to be in the changing room feeling happy. You have got to be sat there having your hands wrapped feeling good. You have got be pulling on your boots feeling comfortable. Then when you get out there and feel the crowd, you know then that the work you have done in the gym is about to pay off and it is time go to and execute the plan.

Tyson Fury awaits

What is next for AJ beyond this fight? If he wins, there is only one place to go and that is Tyson Fury. I am sure he is the gym somewhere working away in retirement, waiting for that call. I’m a positive person, I’m not even thinking about him losing. Of course, it is not of unheard of but I believe AJ will set this right.

When making predictions, you always have to be careful, going with your head or your heart. But I see an AJ win here.

I saw the work he has put in over 12 weeks up in Loughborough before heading out for Jeddah. I couldn’t tell you where Usyk is at but from my perspective, I see that AJ win.

But it has to be a stoppage. I don’t think trying to win on points is a wise thing to do. I don’t think allowing yourself to fall behind is a wise thing to do because when you are chasing this man, it is really difficult. I am praying for that AJ stoppage and I think that is what he will deliver on the night.


MORE : ‘We have no choice but to win’ – Olena Kolesnyk vows to bring victory back to Ukraine alongside Oleksandr Usyk against backdrop of war


MORE : ‘What sort of nonsense is that?’ – Anthony Joshua responds to claims he could retire if he loses to Oleksandr Usyk again

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