Anthony Joshua has outlined his intensive and measured game plan to beat Olenksandr Usyk this weekend.
The pair will square off at Tottenham Hotspur stadium in London on Saturday night, with the Brit hoping to consolidate his status as unified heavyweight champion to set up an undisputed fight with Tyson Fury or Deontay Wilder.
But in his way will be technically one of the most proficient boxers in the world in Usyk, who was a pound-for-pound great during his time at cruiserweight.
And Joshua has realised that Usyk, who also won gold at the London 2012 Olympics, will require a very particular gameplan, telling the Daily Mail that he needed to look at all of his rival’s skills.
“I looked at all Usyk’s attributes,” Joshua said.
“I worked on what I will need to do against him: The placing of my feet, the positioning of the hands, the timing and setting up of punches against a counter-punching southpaw, the angles, the total concentration.
“Everything it takes to outclass a clever opponent in all those departments. They are the depths I’ve thrown myself into for this fight. And for all the fights to come.”
Joshua is expected to beat Usyk, but he understands that at heavyweight, there aren’t many with the technical ability of the Ukranian.
Usyk was an undisputed champion at cruiserweight, and considered one of the best in the world, with wins over the likes of Mairis Briedis and Tony Bellew.
And Joshua understands that public perception won’t play a big factor in how he performs against Usyk.
“It’s not annoying to me that people look upon Usyk as the superior technical boxer,” Joshua said. “He is very good.
“And I know it’s not just about being big and just going into that ring and knocking him out inside 20 seconds with my first big punch.
“If that’s all it was then why would I have been so motivated to get out of bed at dawn to train? To put in the hard yards. To fatigue myself physically and mentally to recover in the space of six or seven hours and then get up the next morning and do it all over again.”
